Doxa 12: In Lieu of a Mural

In lieu of a mural, a girl in yellow dress

painting blue the white brick wall

with a huge paint brush. From her sweeping hand

emits a murmuration of rainbow starlings:

first blue, then violet, red, orange, yellow, green

and back to blue again, undulating as one winged wave

along the 10th street viaduct. As traffic climbs

the bridge they swoop and soar toward the railroad

tracks until their white runway ends

abruptly, and the volley of violet birds at the head

of the flock appears prepared to peel

from the wall and take flight, veering

between the cars and off and off

and off into the deep blue bucket of sky.