1. Seaplanes,
Sunderland flying boats,
Martin
Mars bombers used to be towed,
at
a waddle, out of the green hangars
of
Jericho, every flying machine
and
installation made biblical
by
the very name. A
tremendous
sheet
metal aviary, whose startings-up
and
take-offs terrorized,
temporarily,
like a convention
of
silver, moon-hexed crows,
who
had forsaken their caw,
to take up instead the collective
larynx
of the lion: RrrrrRrrrrrRrrrrr.
Currently,
occupied by a sailing club,
rental
Lasers, ocean kayaks, wind
surf
boards and sails on the sands
by
the pier with its thick green
wrought
iron railing.
Behind,
backed up against Jericho Hill:
Aberthau
House, the old officers’ mess.
The
sky is full of absence, as it always is.
Nothing,
but air and sea birds—salt
flavours,
coasting or curling for the eye
on
a sun-yellow, evening saunter,
like
the limbs of a chicken
for
the stock
through
a pot of impeccable
chicken
soup.
2. Pet rabbits were released in Jericho Park.
Coyotes came, eagles flew down. Only
the canniest survived to nibble among
the
barbed wands of blackberry.
An Era of Easy Meat at Locarno
Where
I ramble
By Jericho
in the March
Mist and
murk to take stock,
I glimpse
an eagle perched
On a hemlock,
Above
a bramble
Patch
and rabbit that cannot dissemble
Its giddy
nibbles in the grass, a pet bunny
Its bum
left to bob like a yoo-hoo to a tummy
In a tree. Fast food, it will tremble
And jerk,
then clog the eagle’s throat,
Without
redress, like a fur
Coat
On a hamburger.