Pandemic by Mark Jackley

Walking on a gravel road,

neither of us speaking.

We come upon a pheasant.

Teel spills like velvet

down his throat. A female

in the bushes, quiet

browns blending with

the urge to live, watches.

Her small heart beats. A little wind—

even the grasses listen.

Mark Jackley lives in Purcellville, VA. His poems have appeared in Sugar House Review, The Cape Rock, Talking River, and other journals.