Crushed

by Lorne Daniel

The bad news this week relentless, rolling
past my glazed face. Addictions,
elections, deaths of the wrong 
people, hypnotic grief. Dazed 
at the roadside today I breathe hot exhaust. Blurred 
tires hiss, rut and groove the grey
just a step away. Over, over.
On the shoulder, waiting for a break,
me and this sleek crow, its cape
tucked and trim. Light disappears
or plays, iridescent, depending 
on the moment, the angles between us.
What impresses me as a semi blows by,
buffeting, is — yes— that unruffled coat 
but too the shining
absence of concern. Unblinking. 
Legs spring-loaded, ready
to jump to some small grain,
fresh-crushed and nourishing.  

Previously published in Red Wheelbarrow Literary Magazine, National Edition (2017, Vol. 18 Iss. 22).

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Lorne Daniel recently returned to poetry after many years away. He has published three books of poetry and his work has been included in anthologies and periodicals across Canada, the U.S. and the U.K.. He lives in Victoria, BC. Find Lorne on Instagram at @lorne_daniel.