Avian Flu

Melody Ding

aches:

chills, wobbly breaths that break 

midway 

in gagging the name 

Tendrils 

they crawl 

a jolt—seized up-straight

and flopped.

hushed sentences 

that still speak 

in a hiss thus silenced—

colorless flags, 

purged bird claws

and crimed eastern feet

yet they ramble and amble 

sane 

“v” grinning “s”’s curse