Roo Shoot

Star pricked sky
like a tin roof leaks light.
Yellow dog moon slinks,
strobes between the trees
slow stalking.

Chink, chink
a metallic whimper
                      chink, chink.
Follow
and if burrows gape
plant           steps           wide
                                        until
white javelin
spotlights the pasture,
eels through clumped thistle
                          finding
conch shell feeding
gum leaf guarding
shapes transposed.

A boom.
The moon recoils,
cordite swirls, a conjuror's trick.
Yanked,
a roo leaps back
the rest slip moorings,
scatter like pullets.
The scene blinks out
we
chink, chink       chink, chink
forward towards dark threshing
where torch and .303 will combine.
Joy Reid