If Only the Crow

by Melissa Coffey


If only I had heeded
the signs—
the unsettling of feathers
at the edges of consciousness,
like carrion birds; restless
from the first scent
of carnage on the wind

If only I had sensed
the flaring of hackles
at the throat; carefully
crafted the question, before it broke
from my mouth, shattering
the brittle air of trust,
hung in the balance between us

If only I had swallowed
the voice — the trick of a gasp reversed, but
even disowned and disembodied,
it assumes power enough for consequences;
too late to quell the cacophony,
discord rising like the disquieting silence
of beating wings, seen from a distance

If only I had caught
the squawking crow of my need
before it lifted from my tongue,
caged it back inside my rib-bones;
the peck and pry of my insistence,
raucous beak like scissors, slicing
through the possibility of your answer

If only I could comprehend—
the movement of your mouth, a dumb-show
behind the obscuring shadow of the crow,
careening between your unheard words,
my skewed perceptions; perhaps you answered my question,
but your voice was blanketed by the thunder
from the turn of your heel, the grenade of you walking away


* * * * *

“If Only the Crow” was first published in Scrittura, hosted by Medium.com (2021-2022).

Melissa Coffey is an Australian published writer, poet and editor, residing in Melbourne. She holds a BA (Hons) in Theatre Studies and engages strongly with themes of the Feminine. Her short stories and poetry are published (sometimes incognito) in international and Australian anthologies (The Mammoth Book series, Cleis Press, Stringybark Stories) and literary journals (The Ekphrastic Review, Not Very Quiet, Illura Press). She has work forthcoming in The Last Girls Club. Melissa is currently seeking publication for her debut poetry chapbook. She publishes writing craft and poetry articles at https://medium.com/@Melissa_Coffey Find her on Twitter @CuriousSeeds.