Milk box Ravens

Black shiny feathers puffed against the cold
crouched low to the ground
white frost beard

Long sharp beak prying the
frozen milk box from the
icy road.

Chipping hard until the
wax carton tears
revealing.

Ice milk chunks
square pebbled glassy
white marbled parts

broken smaller and smaller
then with a convulsive head tossing
swallowing motion

and now a bigger chunk and the two birds face each other
running shambling launch into the air
after the grab and run

too heavy for this branch
too hard to land on that pole
coming back to land again

on the icy road.

Lonely raven checks the milk box
one more time
before the wind carries it off.

Angus Dec 17, 2000