CENTURY SICKNESS

David Hernandez

CENTURY SICKNESS (2022, Edition of 1)

Original poem written by David Hernandez and interpreted by Artsychaut (Kim Siew), a Mauritian artists fond of visual and written art. Member of the Cyberbaat DAO.

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CENTURY SICKNESS

In the iron light of autumn, a crow

headed east over Stearns Avenue,

at the height of phone lines, in the quiet

of early morning. Hush, hush, hush,

its wings repeated, the blue-black wings,

as the crow held between its clamped beak a sparrow, slack as an empty glove.

Another sparrow followed, frantic as it dove and dove, driving its smaller beak

into the crow’s back, which didn’t do a thing but make some meager thumps.

Across the street my neighbor

paused, her face masked, lifted to sky.

I watched her watching them go

until she raised a hand to me, waving slowly.