Mark Goodwin: Owl Stove

Owl Stove

I

not since spring
have we been

in the cabin
it is now

oct
ober so I

o
pen the

wood-burning
stove

surprise swoo
ps m

akes a mouse
of my mind

the stove’s full
of taw

ny flames
a mass

of fea
thery fli

cker & smo
ky down

the stove’s a
tomb

its silence’s
heat is hoo

t less

time’s heat f
ades and a bir

d-log burns
down  some
shape   that

once fl
ew is

as drie
d-out

as ash

II

I lift the dead
owl out

it is light

as feathers
& bird-bones

a husk

emptied
of owl

not even
a whiff

of owl left
the ghost

of its rot
-scent has

gone

up the flue
moons ago

it is like
holding

shadow
where is

the owl’s head
the beak & sockets

                ?

there are four
wings

four wings

                !

like opening
a feather

-bound book

of bird-breath
I pull apart

two owls
two owls

bless them
they must’ve

tried nesting
in the flue’s top

                then to
                gether

                slid

with their twigs
down

                the met
                al sh

                aft int
                o the t

                rap

III

I wish

to open
the stove
this previous

spring

I wish

for fire
to fly out

I w
ish two taw

ny f
lames f

lapping

hunter silence

I wish two

symbols
of wisdom

                set fr
                ee by me

                tw
                o ow

                ls a
                live

                two
                owls to

                sc

                are

                me

                to

                d

                eath

 

Mark Goodwin was brought up on a farm in Leicestershire, and he also went to agricultural college – both of these experiences have contributed to his poetry-making. Mark has published five full-length poetry collections & five chapbooks with Leafe Press’s Open House Editions, Longbarrow Press, Knives Forks & Spoons Press, Small Minded Books, Nine Arches Press, & Shearsman Books. Another full-length collection – which also includes fiction – called Rock as Gloss, is forthcoming with Longbarrow Press.

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