Enigma with a Blackbird

                                                      image by Amy McCartney

Grief. It has come silently, I did not know
it had perched, like a bird, ominous,
the black figure, that sits in my chest,
piecing itself a home,
twig by twig, scrap by scrap,
my heart: her barn, her roof top, her part of the tree to claim,
how she settles there, uninvited,
shedding feathers, the blackness
of her body seeps into mine,
till her beak claws away at the pink tender flesh
tearing me apart,
she spreads her wings,  a muster of hope –
Alas! her talons have cut so deep,
already left her mark.

Jiye completed her bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Film Studies at the University of St Andrews, and is currently doing her MA in Creative Writing at Newcastle University. She has conducted creative writing workshops for schools in the North East for the Lit & Phil Young Writer’s competition, and also worked as an English teacher for five years in South Korea. She enjoys travelling, photography and exploring quirky cafes in her spare time.