I'll have the post on the fortnightly book up tomorrow at some point; something unexpected came up that ate away my time today. I did come up with this at lunch, though. Chalkydri are from 2 Enoch, a pseudepigraphic apocalypse from the first century.
Chalkydri and Phoenix
With feather on fire, with glittering eye,
chalkydri and phoenix enlighten the sky;
with scale like to sunbeam, with wings bright with rays,
they praise with their ardor the Truth and His ways,
they sing of the glory of Life that abounds,
with the Spirit of splendor their voices resound.
They sweep and they swoop with each lemniscate turn
as trails through the sky they unceasingly burn,
as their life blazes purer than roses aflame,
for they burn from within with Ineffable Name
in letters of wonder, black fire on white light,
that were writ with the Finger of God in His might.
Chalkydri and phoenix are joining in song,
emblazoned in glory by light of the dawn,
with feather on fire and glittering eye
are rising to choir in fields of the sky,
with scale like to sunbeam and wings formed of light
are blazing with vision too brilliant for sight.
And hark how their hymns in the tremulous air
are pouring forth, glowing, like the embers laid bare
of a fire first sparked when the world was yet young!
Chalkydri and phoenix then too had sung,
and morning stars formed at each note of each phrase
as they sang for the joy of the Ancient of Days.
