Thomas Mitchell: “Crow Genesis”
CROW GENESIS
They came from clay,
monk-shaped slabs
sliding down mountain sides,
the bottom layers of vacant
riverbeds, oozing wetlands,
black and ominous—God’s
mystical dream.
Alive not yet, the first squawk
formed by rain, wind, aberrant
and soulless, lifts from deep
within, shaking the earth,
tonal, wretched, unspeakable
utterances rattling the newly
formed diaphragm—Aaaaark!
Last came feathers, an
afterthought, a black coat
hanging in a dark closet,
ruffled black collar, sleek
sleeves, tailored from
a starless universe, bereft,
abandoned after some
forgotten dance, cigarettes
in the breast pocket.
A perfect fit.
Poems by Thomas Mitchell have appeared in numerous literary journals, including New England Review, New Letters, California Quarterly, New Orleans Review, Quarterly West, and Chariton Review. His two collections of poetry, The Way Summer Ends (2016) and Caribou (2018), were published by Lost Horse Press.