The First Checklist

Humboldt Park, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, US
Thu Feb 01, 2018 8:21 AM
Protocol:Traveling
Party Size:1
Duration:40 minute(s)
Distance:1.2 mile(s)
 
6 species total
150      Canada Goose
8          Mallard
1          Red-tailed Hawk
10        Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
2          American Crow
1          Northern Cardinal

​One hundred fifty Canada geese float in my blood. They know something about the cold and constrict the vessel-ways behind their saunter at the slightest sign of bitterness.
 
A disease is a disease because it has no reason.
A disease with reason is no disease at all.
 
Blood geese are excuseless, and lazy, and thick in freeze they stubbornly stay. Then why do they shrink the arteries, an overreaction to winter, an allergy to Februariness. Where did they learn this animosity of wing.
 
Perhaps they wish to be a secret hawk, discovered only at the very end,
when life has already shifted to waiting.
 
Yet the hawk preys upon rats,
and has a red tail.
 
My fingers turn pearly, and my toes.
When the blood rushes back after some warming, the skin is a rustic magenta,
and sometimes
deep
juicy
purple.
 
It is a disgusting thing.
 
Drab geese, drab.
Blacks and ecrus and poop dirt.
It is possible that in the blank stare is a more intelligent shyness.
It is possible that in my disease the geese find the vivid splashes they crave.
 
The day is cold and getting colder, and when the fowl tuck head under wing, do they dream dark dreams of spring.
 
Birds are a syndrome, and sometimes
I forget geese fly,
although they do it every day.