The Key of See minor, 4

CONTINUANCE

©2015 RavennaTaylor, "Continuance," photopolymer relief print, collage, 6 x 10 inches

CONTINUANCE

I hear the hollow drill
of the Pileated Woodpecker;
unwinding almost visibly, a ribbon of rattle
snagged in a maze of trees.

Tied up in knots
I practice ordered tangles,
drawing them from diagrams
while blindly feeling for my fid.

A species of tiny birds depends
on inborn facilities:
weaving grassblades, tying knots.
Unlike us, they need not teach one another.

I guess I might have figured out
how to tie a knot, if
my father hadn't shown me
—I would've thought I'd invented it.

image and text ©2015 Ravenna Taylor