pterodactyl

enter the pterodactyl
stage left:
it starts reciting something
in its own pterodactyl language
re-folding and flurrying
its creaking wings

It is an awkward creature
like a gigantic black, broken umbrella
but moving about
in a way an umbrella wouldn’t do
and with a sharp beak
which some umbrellas have

‘Was this the right choice?’
the audience is whispering amongst itself
‘we have paid to see Beyoncé’