Sublime

‘milliners’ – working-class good-time girls

vestigial.

Sadie liked the phrase “an abundance of caution.” It reminded her of a murder of crows, a flock of seagulls, a pack of wolves.

The word ‘predator’ is baggy with misuse. All birds eat living flesh at some time in their lives. Consider the cold-eyed thrush, that springy carnivore of lawns, worm stabber, basher to death of snails. We should not sentimentalise his song, and forget the killing that sustains it.

Mercenaries weren’t called such in my time. They hid behind euphemisms like “security contractor” or “private military corporation”,

It’s no coincidence that “aspiration” means both hope and the act of breathing.

“Pretty girl,” the bird squawked. Gabe set his jaw. Do you think I haven’t noticed that, you cursed pigeon with pretensions?