The mind is a flock of starlings
with words for wings

a dark sun in a darkening sky, or
when what’s left of the light catches them, turns them silver
a ball of fish
careening through the gap where
something you wanted to give
shape to was and might still be

all you have to do is
follow the thread that runs through a nest of lengths and ends
that were once wound on reels
had serviceable names
like navy & charcoal & fawn or tawn & mid brown & are now a puddle

feeling for the impulse, holding it like you might
a blown egg, a bubble or bomb, it’s
all you can do to stop it exploding
scattering broken bits of itself across the sky’s wall, you’re

retracing its patterns, remembering the way it moves
with no conductor, no stick to control it
how it spreads over air
doubles back
thickens in eddies

                as long as distraction is kept at bay                                                                                                  
                                                                it might keep from shattering

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Deborah Harvey is a native Bristolian whose tap root runs deep. She has an MA in Creative Writing from Manchester Writing School. Her poems have been widely published, occasionally broadcast, and nominated for both Forward and Pushcart Prizes. Her sixth poetry collection, Love the Albatross, which explores the subject of estrangement, was published by Indigo Dreams in August 2024. Deborah is currently writing about nature and neurodivergence.
In addition to her personal writing and poetry readings, Deborah facilitates two monthly poetry groups at Bristol Folk House and co-runs Silver Street Poetry, Bristol’s longest-standing community open mic.