Talon

Photo by Eddie Black on Unsplash

Bobcat looks back
Her tendons steam
Eyes question compulsion to pounce
To plunder
A pup, his remains, curl in grass
Not cut

I look back
Moon rises as empty cup
Soul, what’s left of it, questions
My impulse to inflict pain
Fingernails curl into palm
Why did he forgive

Marjorie Gowdy

Marjorie Gowdy writes and paints in the Blue Ridge Mountains. A Virginia native who has lived throughout the southeastern United States, Marjorie has three published chapbooks, Inflorescence: The Pasture at Rest, Cowgirl by Choice, and Horse Latitudes. Her poem “Savior” was published in the November 2022 issue of Friends Journal. Her maternal ancestors were Quakers.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Maximum of 400 words or 2000 characters.

Comments on Friendsjournal.org may be used in the Forum of the print magazine and may be edited for length and clarity.