With its blade-bill, a sword struck off
its scabbard, the pelican plunges
on its silver-finned prey in a sovereign half-
spin, the chest stiffened into a single sinew,
spurring the bird to his sudden fall.
Slashing the sea-skin into lithe strips
in his strait linear trajectory,
the pelican stores his prey
in his womb-pouch across sky-miles
regurgitating his sea-bounty to the young
congregation of clacking bills, searching,
probing, prodding the plastic pocket,
imploring to open the large beige envelope
with its propelling oceanic presents.