Poem: Fight or Flight

A poem about a bird left for dead. Or was it? Or is it?

There was a bird that got caught
in the lawnmower —
and we gathered around to watch it
either die, or fly away.

My aunty told my uncle to shield
us all from it — but he reckoned
there was a lesson, and told us all
to watch. He raised the shovel

high above his head and hit down hard.
The bird came to life and flew right
past our heads. I still wonder sometimes
w…