Red-Crowned Crane
Rare cranes have flourished in the world’s unlikeliest sanctuary, the heavily mined demilitarized zone between North and South Korea.
—Smithsonian Magazine
curve and swoosh
of wondrous white
brushstroked black
the throat and wings
modest cap of scarlet
stretch and flap
a regal span
dance romance
on chopstick legs
elegant and awkward
nest and stalk
between the mines
screech and whoop
past endless loops
of shining razor wire
Source: Poetry (March 2021)