the peacock

there was a peacock in the grounds of their estate, renishaw,

who was edith's best friend for a while growing up:

"he would wait for me until i left my mother's room, then,

with another harsh shriek would fly down into the large gardens.

we walked around these, with my arm around his lovely neck,

that shone like tears in a dark forest.

if it had not been for his crown, which made him slightly taller than me,

we should have been of the same height...this romance lasted for months.

then my father bought Peaky a wife
(in my eyes a most dull and insignificant bird)

and he discarded my companionship."

edith sitwell via ii-ne-kore