Chanticleer's Wife

Her throat is stippled, black and white and brown Her tie-dyed wings ark wide and wildly flap I love the feathered bracelets round her thighs I love his jealous crow, a thunderclap A tug that pulls a tiny train of waves This farmyard wife has tags of chicks in tow Past puddles' khaki mirrors see her strut Small speeding chicklets cackling two and fro Above, the skies are weeping, clouds are low. She stops to drink.Like a small stab of pain Her beak sends circling ripples round the pool Raindrops, dance around her peck like grain.