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Sarah Fledging Soft feather heart blue jay and thrasher and eagle's down she has gathered, each nail smoothing each barbed shaft oiled so her fingers shine. Meadowlark and finch, cardinal, the junco, nght-upside-up nuthatch, feather skim on teak where she dips from a bowl to chamois against afternoon chill, pulls her needle through blood spots dried mahogany. Flutter heart of feather bowl as she shakes loose another amber and dove wet pebble from the patch by her elbow, reaches, gathers each shaft for a linen loop, and waxes and ties off. Whirl, circle, and wave of feather jackdaw, hawk, the golden swift scooping mosquitoes from the backyard lathehouse, her hands reach to steady the softeningcloak—it quivers, air from the floor vent—she turns. And now she reaches for the lamp and rises. 32 ...

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