Poetry: Canary by Lucy Whitehead

Poetry: Canary by Lucy Whitehead

Canary

My body is a machine. 
I've learnt to hear
its hum and crackle
its whirr and rattle
its drums,
the bright yellow bird
that sings in my chest,
hooked up to trip wires,
electric fences,
switches
that get flipped.
When the flapping starts
I listen
to the faint feathered voice
within its beak.
We have a better relationship
now
all the mechanics
are fixed,
and a tin can telephone
for backup.