Crow with Salt, Photograph by Marian Drew, 2003

by Lois Marie Harrod

After the dark funeral, we see
how we fix the dead—

slip the black bird onto a china saucer
place the plate on a linen tablecloth,

the one grandmother embroidered
and folded into a tissued box.

There is no time to iron,
so let Christ smooth it out,

Christ the chauffeur, Christ the roadkill,
take, eat, the crinkled foot,

black feathers and beak,
a little lemon, a little salt

the cruets of oil and vinegar
echoing the swerve of flip and wing.