Molly Frederick’s most recent poem to appear here was “Death in Minor Key” (June 2017)

Planes of Being
By Molly Frederick

Kingfisher skims low and fast
over his lake of poured glass.
What does he see when he flies? A morsel,
a meal. A chance?
But does he also see the streaking vision
of a mirrored self rising from the depths
to meet him?
No birdcall, no memory he carries
escapes this union.
One spark of time—just this, no more.

Then—as cells divide, as halves fall back
neatly from the knife—so
the doubled kingfisher splits. Separates.
Shoots away to heights and depths.
Opposites. Polarities.
A life unremembered.
Apart.
Real, not conjured. Free. Blue into blue,
white dodging through whites—
rocketing.
Clean. Away.