Formation – Poetry by Xianna Michaels

“Formation” was written at the beach and completely surprised me.

I thought I was simply writing about seagulls. But it turned out to be about something else entirely.
Formation
Seagulls in precise formation.
The shape: a children’s kite.
Above the waves a constellation
Of gulls in graceful flight.
Then one falls out, goes off alone.
The others circle round,
Escort him back, reclaim their own.
The raucous cries resound!
  Does he feel joyful, thus included,
  Or weep at freedom just eluded?

I thought I was simply writing about seagulls. But it turned out to be about something else entirely.
Formation
Seagulls in precise formation.
The shape: a children’s kite.
Above the waves a constellation
Of gulls in graceful flight.
Then one falls out, goes off alone.
The others circle round,
Escort him back, reclaim their own.
The raucous cries resound!
  Does he feel joyful, thus included,
  Or weep at freedom just eluded?