Purple Swamphens
some purple hides near the tail they go on making it from blue gradually you become aware of their bill in red, turquoise chest to tiny face, white undertail, brown and orange feet the only purple is a distant view of perfumed jacaranda when purple is floral and warm it settles on the sky over slatted roofs when you go down to the water’s edge Swamphens run in pairs, black tails flicking Morse code amongst the reeds an exquisite creature, runs a four-way spread of feet as a fretwork to its flighty footwork when purple socks hang to dry you go on seeing that swamp-bird fly not wade to the bank on the other side purple socks fly in the wind, and when dry, inside your shoes, that space between foot and cuff can’t be seen much like the purple on a black and Purple Swamphen
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