Chug, chug, a canal boat putt,
putts towards me, holiday time
smiley waves and in the branches
lots of birds fight and sing and try
to eat, fluffy, scraggy, bit stupid,
fast, so fast, zip here, zip there,
over logs and banks, through
fences, ancient fences, fences that
tell stories of old wars, old books,
stacked beside the fireplace, faded
covers, a home for grit, granules
of disease, getting tired now, in
armchair, glass of wine, fire
toasting feet and some dog I seem
to have kidnapped earlier today
when I was out walking