Morgan Michaels

A fish recommends
fins and tails
and scales
to float your boat
to where the channel ends.

A bird thinks wings
pretty good things
to bump and soar
a sandy shore
with zero lien of fin.

Altogether tail
and breast
and deeming least best
a snake finds feet superfluous
and 'insupportable.'

Nature gave the horse
shins in quartet. 'Forget
wings, '' he sings,
pounding the course,
'unless you're Pegasus.'

Over furrow, barrow
dune and brake;
under loch and lake
soars the bird, slips
the fish, snakes the snake;

'To own his each, '
whinnies the fish
sings the snake
whispers the bird
hisses the horse
each in his own word.