WHEN A SON GOES OFF TO WAR

ANN IVERSON

I walk out into the world alone at dusk,
watch the blackbirds, with no strategic plan,
mission, or vision gather in the naked tree.

Hundreds of them fly in for this impromptu session
where they put their wings together and form
an arc of shadow, a coalition between light and dark
while from branches, decisions scatter in the air.

Filled with privilege like never before,
I open myself to the visual world
where doctrine and creed do not matter
so even God finds himself amongst

their tuning eyes looking west
knowing everything there is to know
about how light ends
and darkness has its way.