Zurich’s red kites of disappointment by Matt Gilbert

Zurich’s red kites of disappointment

They were not eagles – it turned out,

in the end. Confirmed it on an app.

Misplaced gasps corrected, the great 

birds shrank, reduced to something else. 

What were they thinking? Wheeling 

into shot like that, prising open mouths 

with such slick manoeuvres. As if air 

belongs to them. Soaring at the rim 

of this untroubled lake. Scoffing 

at deluxe ice-cream lickers, toes dipped, 

trousers rolled. Relieving hot soles from 

the sweat-burn-ache of uphill walking. 

Here in clockwork banker glitz-ville, 

somewhere to the north of mountains.

Matt Gilbert is a freelance copywriter, from Bristol, England, who also writes a blog about place, books and other distractions at richlyevocative.net. He's had poetry published by Acumen, Atrium, and The Storms among others. His debut collection 'Street Sailing' was published by Black Bough poetry in 2023