Luke MacKenzie

The Spirit Descending

No bird could stoop like that

with white wings whipped wide,

but black beak bent below

to fall in fierce gravity to dust of death.

No bird could dive-bomb darkness here in the deep

daring ungrateful earth emptiness

with no weapon but a leaf.

Perhaps an eagle, iron-shod and eager

to rend the earth and tear the sod

could dive with such abandon.

But surely not a dove 

could dip its quill in earth’s black ink

and instead of rising, sink,

even to the grave to write light.

Luke MacKenzie is an undergraduate, pursuing a B.A. at Geneva College in Northwest Pennsylvania. He has previously been published in the College's literary magazine, The Chimes, which he has also edited for. He has also been rejected by many non-college magazines, but continues to write due to having been dropped on his head as a child.