Orcadian Elemental

A skein of honking geese hug the contours of the land. A black bag, ripped, flaps against a barbed wire fence. A window creaks in an abandoned house. The wind gets everywhere, like water. Ducks are alarmed at my approach. By the time I reach them, they are only ripples in the burn.

A hailstorm sweeps the landscape. I bow my head and plough on. The green earth has turned white. A hint of red