retribution
i
prologue
the neighbour’s children –
the little girl who sings
sweet voiced with wonder
and her brothers who play cricket
keep dogs feed street cats
today
they are lined up
with two friends and a servant
in front of their alsatian
tied and seated upright
he has their pet parrot
clamped in his jaws –
the open cage
beside him –
snapping over
his mouthful
of feather and bone
…scarlet flash of beak
alarmed squawk
stiff folding flutter of green
cracking wing feathers
vainly outstretching
as the dog
gags to swallow
meanwhile the children
shriek and goad
a rhythmic chant
come blackie, go, yes
come blackie, go
rocking
back and forth
gleeful in
fixated
horror
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