Flying Visit

“Old sailors believe that gulls are special;
one should never harm a gull. Some believed
that the souls of their departed shipmates
were reincarnated as gulls.”
- Marlin Bree


As it sailed in
I caught sight
of a finer, gentler creature;

not quite
a wide-winged angel,
but hardly evil.

Captured during
a split-second respite
from its harsh life,

and flattered by the blur
of its own flight,
I saw it in a generous light.

If I'm not careful I might
be tempted to write
about its lost-sailor soul

rather than getting to grips
with the reality -
what it's really here for is to steal

my fish and chips.