Fade into the bright

Like this crow,
we're curious, and cautious;
eager to learn more
about the center of the cross
yet anxious,
lest there be some unexpected taste
in what lies there;
something that might rise up and bite,
or perhaps some hidden poison
that will shorten this wild life.
And so we approach this intersection
-- between past and future,
human and divine --
warily,
step by tentative step
as if to say
I'm afraid that if I set foot here
I may suddenly cease to exist --
as if this black wouldn't show up against that white;
as if, coated in reflected light,
we might decide to fold our wings
and fade into the bright.

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