Testing the Seed Head

Morning light strikes the kitchen sill! Scramble up the radiator ribs—solid claw grip. Right next to the glass sits a small ceramic dish holding a dry poppy pod. Head tilt. Sharp pause! I step close on rigid talons, inspecting the crown. Flat, star-shaped cap atop a ribbed bulb. I hook one sharp claw under the fluted ridge. Pry, shake! Rattle-chink! Tiny slate-grey seeds spill from beneath the vents, skittering across the glazed white pottery like dark sand. Stiff capsule tested. Rhythmic prize freed!