Five lordly pheasants
line the hedgetop at dawn
wings wide in supplication
to the sun's rising
burnished in their brilliance;
white collars, red wattles
speckled waistcoat and dusty cloaks
tails falling into shadow.

On this day, men will come
with boys abeating in the wood
weekend gentlemen, their shotguns cocked
their chased silver glinting
wood stocks a pale imitation
of pheasant glory
barrels lock, piston, hornet
lead flies up speckling the sod
as ragged feather bundles
rain from the sky.