Habits of the maiden owl

Jane Arthur

At night my eyes are huge.

I bring my talons forward to land on you.

Everything I eat I swallow whole.

Corset bones, starched bustles, crushed berries,

false lashes. My humours erode flesh.

I hack and present upon my tongue

tidy bundles of feathers and fur,

calcified organs, skeleton shards.

At night my eyes take in all the light there is.

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