Inside a small child wages war on the carpet,
Outside swallows re-enact sky battles.
Inside tea stains test normality,
Outside a cat leaves his mark.
Inside newscasters tell of trouble,
Outside ants patrol the borders.
Inside a sniper selects sharp words,
Outside magpies strafe open ground.
Inside negotiations fail,
Outside a songbird startles.
Inside a heavy sentence hits,
Outside starlings chatter judgement.
Inside toast burns unattended,
Outside sunset’s shadows scorch.
Inside cruelty cuts a heart to ribbons,
Outside stars shoot bullet holes in black.
Inside frailty bends to excuses,
Outside the owl protects her kill.
Inside tears drain in silence,
Outside a fox wails to the dark.
Inside bodies lie still,
Outside the night mourns.
© Emma Cooke 2013