Owen took these photos.
knobbed hornbills overhead
like the thick whoosh
of hot air balloon flame
they lift off
you don’t need to
let your eyes leave the trail
to know they’re overlooking you –
you feel it in the helicopter pulse
their wings make
if you’re lucky you might catch
a long black cross sailing away
and be satisfied
imagine then
seeing the pair clearly
flying down the open valley
level with the canopy
black bodies bookended by
yellow red & blue noble heads
and trailing white tails
and the most amazing part is
there’s still a forest big enough
for their grand presence
