Swan Song

A bunch of old snakeheads down by the pond
Carrying on the swan tradition hissing
Inside their white bodies, raising and lowering their heads
Like ostriches, regretting only the sad ritual
That forced them to waddle back into the water
After their life under the rocks, wishing they could lie again
in the sun

And dream of spreading their terrifying wings;
Wishing, this time, they could sail through the sky like
horses,
Their tails rigid, their white manes fluttering,
Their mouths open, their sharp teeth flashing,
Drops of mercy pouring from their eyes,
Bolts of wisdom from their foreheads.

(2 votes, average: 3.50 out of 5)

Related poetry:

The Black Swan When the swans turned my sister into a swan I would go to the lake, at night, from milking: The […]...

He Bids His Beloved Be At Peace I hear the Shadowy Horses, their long manes a-shake, Their hoofs heavy with tumult, their eyes glimmering white; The North […]...

Love The Wild Swan “I hate my verses, every line, every word. Oh pale and brittle pencils ever to try One grass-blade’s curve, or […]...

The Swan Did you too see it, drifting, all night, on the black river? Did you see it in the morning, rising […]...

Song Unsung The song that I came to sing remains unsung to this day. I have spent my days in stringing and […]...

It Is March It is March and black dust falls out of the books Soon I will be gone The tall spirit who […]...

My Tails I haven’t worn my evening dress For nearly twenty years; Oh I’m unsocial, I confess, A hermit, it appears. So […]...

Leda And The Swan A sudden blow: the great wings beating still Above the staggering girl, her thighs caressed By the dark webs, her […]...

A Song Of The Future Sail fast, sail fast, Ark of my hopes, Ark of my dreams; Sweep lordly o’er the drowned Past, Fly glittering […]...

Unlyric Love Song It is time to give that-of-myself which I could not at first: To offer you now at last my least […]...

Autumn Song Like a joy on the heart of a sorrow, The sunset hangs on a cloud; A golden storm of glittering […]...

THE SWAN ANDROMACHE, I think of you! The stream, The poor, sad mirror where in bygone days Shone all the majesty of […]...

Song (Sylvia The Fair, In The Bloom Of Fifteen) Sylvia the fair, in the bloom of fifteen, Felt an innocent warmth as she lay on the green: She had […]...

Turtle, Swan Because the road to our house Is a back road, meadowlands punctuated By gravel quarry and lumberyard, There are unexpected […]...

Road-Song of the Bandar-Log (From The Jungle Book) Here we go in a flung festoon, Half-way up to the jealous moon! Don’t you envy […]...

Song of the Bowmen of Shu Here we are, picking the first fern-shoots And saying: When shall we get back to our country? Here we are […]...

The Swan This laboring through what is still undone, As though, legs bound, we hobbled along the way, Is like the akward […]...

Some Like Poetry Write it. Write. In ordinary ink On ordinary paper: they were given no food, They all died of hunger. “All. […]...

An Argument I’ve oft been told by learned friars, That wishing and the crime are one, And Heaven punishes desires As much […]...

No Swan So Fine “No water so still as the Dead fountains of Versailles.” No swan, With swart blind look askance And gondoliering legs, […]...

The Swan At Edgewater Park Isn’t one of your prissy richpeoples’ swans Wouldn’t be at home on some pristine pond Chooses the whole stinking shoreline, […]...

A Song of Travel Where’s the lamp that Hero lit Once to call Leander home? Equal Time hath shovelled it ‘Neath the wrack of […]...

Child Margaret THE CHILD Margaret begins to write numbers on a Saturday morning, the first numbers formed under her wishing child fingers. […]...

399. Song-Open the door to me, oh OH, open the door, some pity to shew, Oh, open the door to me, oh, Tho’ thou hast been false, […]...

Dream Song 54: 'NO VISITORS' I thumb the roller to ‘NO VISITORS’ I thumb the roller to And leans against the door. Comfortable in my horseblanket I prop on the […]...

Impression – Le Reveillon The sky is laced with fitful red, The circling mists and shadows flee, The dawn is rising from the sea, […]...

The Harbor PASSING through huddled and ugly walls By doorways where women Looked from their hunger-deep eyes, Haunted with shadows of hunger-hands, […]...

A heine love song The image of the moon at night All trembling in the ocean lies, But she, with calm and steadfast light, […]...

An Arctic Quest O proudly name their names who bravely sail To seek brave lost in Arctic snows and seas! Bring money and […]...

A Lake And A Fairy Boat A lake and a fairy boat To sail in the moonlight clear, – And merrily we would float From the […]...

Optimistic Man as a child he never plucked the wings off flies He didn’t tie tin cans to cats’ tails Or lock […]...

Street in Agrigentum There is still the wind that I remember Firing the manes of horses, racing, Slanting, across the plains, The wind […]...

Cradle Song FROM groves of spice, O’er fields of rice, Athwart the lotus-stream, I bring for you, Aglint with dew A little […]...

The Song of Australia The centuries found me to nations unknown – My people have crowned me and made me a throne; My royal […]...

Little Owl Who Lives in the Orchard His beak could open a bottle, And his eyes – when he lifts their soft lids – Go on reading […]...

Song for All Seas, All Ships 1 TO-DAY a rude brief recitative, Of ships sailing the Seas, each with its special flag or ship-signal; Of unnamed […]...

I don't remember the word I wished to say I don’t remember the word I wished to say. The blind swallow returns to the hall of shadow, On shorn […]...

Slumber-Song Sleep; and my song shall build about your bed A paradise of dimness. You shall feel The folding of tired […]...

Galoots GALOOTS, you hairy, hankering, Snousle on the bones you eat, chew at the gristle and lick the last of it. […]...

The Song of the Old Guard Army Reform-.After Boer war “The Army of a Dream”-Traffics and Discoveries. Know this, my brethren, Heaven is clear And all […]...