The Laburnum Top

The Laburnum top is silent quite still 

In the afternoon yellow September sunlight 

A few leaves yellowing all its seeds fallen 

Till the goldfinch comes with a twitching chirp 

A suddenness a stalemate at a branch end 

Then sleek as a lizard and alert and abrupt 

She enters the thickness and a machine start up

Of chattering and a tremor of wings and trilling 

The whole tree trembled and thrills 

It is the engine of her family 

She stokes it full then flirts out to a branch end 

Showing her barred face identity mask