The Cold Tap Sings

I spent the afternoon in Battersea Park today and a word in the book I was reading triggered this scene, which may make it into ‘Fathom’ (more here).

***

‘Salt-Blood’

A fish is caught in the trap
of a cormorant’s dinosaur-beak
and writhes, half-swallowed,
swimming in air, desperate.

The bird opens his gullet, gulps,
gulps again: the fish vanishes
into the saltcellar of his stomach.

***

The cormorant is one of my favourite birds because they have the ultimate freedom to explore water, land and sky. If only I could do the same…