it took hours for the shaking to leave my body

I once decided to pretend to be angry. 

 

Then I was. 

 

As a bird is caught in its birdness before it is caught in the bird net. 

 

The bird might be counted, tagged, released. 

The bird might be eaten. 

 

It took hours for the shaking to leave my body. 

 

Body of air, body of branch, what earth's yellows & nectars were made for. 

 

[Jane Hirshfield {1953- } 'The Bird Net', from Ledger]