Synthesis
-Scott-Patrick Mitchell
The forest drinks the light. Little bird, a cup,
holds wind in throat, sings from way up high
to dance feathers green as arc of heaven.
Below the bird, a map of fungus and bug
and orchid: above, the song weaves currents and mixes
forest drinks. A little light. Bird a cup.
Each swoop, a history, a heritage.
To fall is joy, descent an ecstasy,
each feather, a dance into green: arced wings of heaven.
On limbs, architecture holds weight of bird
as tree ascends, twigs azure into canopy
where forest drinks the light. Little bird is a cup
that pours a symphony through unbroken bracken.
You lean to read the poem’s breeze, to dance,
feather into green, arcing wing of heaven.
Made avian, we travel through this moment,
still. We shine together, gather a forest drunk
on light. The little bird’s a cup of dancing
feather. And us, one arcing green wing in heaven.
Scott-Patrick Mitchell is a non-binary poet living on Whadjuk Noongar Country. Winner of Qld Poetry’s 2023 Prize for Excellence in Spoken Word, Mitchell is the author of Clean, a poetry collection that explores their lived experience with addiction and recovery. Clean was shortlisted for The Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards and nominated for Book of the Year in The Western Australian Premier’s Book Awards.
