The naked parrot
issued a squawk,
the boughs of orchard trees
watched it with some fascination.
She turned
devoted to the forest
older than humanity
her face
the face of an old actress
glistening with rain
a night animal’s mystery
wandering aimlessly
slave to a fiery obsession
the hand of Fate
breathing in
moths:
substitutes for air
individual beasts
In the darkened villa
her black dress shimmered
like crocodile skin.