A pee wee
My neighbour says

A magpie-lark
I say silently

A most innocuous bird
I think to myself

But now just an empty oval
Of black and white feathers
On the damp grass

It must have been Max
My neighbour says brightly

Can’t blame the cat
I suppose
Instinct driven
In his striped coat

Looking at the owner
I am unable to say
That which should be said
That she should control her cat

Her little boy runs forward
Snatches at the feathers
Throws them in the air

And they fly
For a while

Oh yes, they fly
For a while