Waddling along
the bait tank’s edge,
it looks like a bird
assembled
in a thundercloud.
I see it’s a hodgepodge
of bird parts:
beak from a heron,
feet from a cormorant,
and silhouette
from a pterosaur.
Flapping its wings,
it endures
the squawking of gulls.
Jumping off the bait-well,
it dips before catching
the sea breeze and
rising in tight circles.
It reaches a great height
and dives,
becoming streamlined
as a missile.
After splitting the waves,
it resurfaces
to swallow its catch
by raising its beak
like a trumpeter.
Now, a ship’s horn sounds,
and the fog clears,
revealing the moonset.
