Winter Prelude — A Poem

An artfully altered photo of a stand of beech trees, slowly dropping their leaves to reveal their structure.
“Beech Trees” — C.Birde, 11/22

The snowbirds

have returned –

those flitting,

avian shadows,

bow-tie tailed

& dapper;

flown in on

the new moon’s

dark veil

to releaf

the beeches’ bare,

uplifted boughs

in monochrome

& song.

— C.Birde, 11/22

Sparrow — A Poem

An artfully altered photo of a blue pottery bird feeder.
“Blue Globe Feeder” — C.Birde, 11/22

Upon

a bed of seeds,

she rests,

folded within

the blue globe’s

hollow,

cracks open

striped hulls

& eats

But,

at my approach,

a l a r m –

shell fragments

scatter

She seeks escape,

rehatches

her small self

on wings

          unfurled,

                    stretched

                              o  u  t.

— C.Birde, 11/22

Hum — A Poem

A photo of a tumble of wiled asters.
“Asters” — C.Birde, 10/22

Clouds

of bee-pricked asters

hum

while your voice –

     frilled in petals

     & promises –

carries

beyond the window’s

tidy panes,

weaves

through the bloom

& sway of October’s

violaceous hue

And

though I reach

for you,

this separation –

     seen,

     unseen –

remains.

— C.Birde, 10/22

Departure — A Poem

A b&w photo of our little old, ball-of-fire, doggie, sleeping in a patch of sunlight.
“Josie” — C.Birde, 10/22

Run, run, run

     run free,

unfettered by mortality’s

pale restraints as,

when first we met,

you ran,

Electron made flesh

in four fleet paws that,

for seventeen years,

obliged earth’s gravity

in jovial orbit.

Run, run, run

     run free with yip &

click & jingle, & leave us,

dear Josie,

to the heartbreak

& surreality of your

departure.

— C.Birde, 10/22

A color photo of our little dog at six months old, on the rocky shores of Maine.
“Josie, 2006” — C.Birde, 10/22

Crickets’ Song — A Poem

A photo of a swampy meadow filled with greenery, beneath a broad blue sky.
“Rattlesnake Meadow, Summer” — C.Birde, 8/22

I could sleep

away the season’s end,

head upon this pillow

of bronze ferns

& oak leaves turned

the color of doeskin,

Cheek pressed

to this still-green bed

of moss as you sing

against my ear

Please, let me remain

undisturbed until

the heat has passed

Though this means

I must wait

another year to hear

your song.

— C.Birde, 9/22

Glove — A Dream

A close-up photo of an adult cicada.
“Cicada” — C.Birde, 8/22

I wore,

on my right hand,

a glove of cicadas –

glittering,

shimmering,

whirring in patterns

improbable…

A glove of dialogue,

& movement,

& transformation

undeniable…

And when I tried

to release my hand,

my fingers,

of those shrill insects,

they clicked

& chittered

& shifted

& sang;

with buzzing intent,

they bit

& stung;

endured as one;

would not be

shaken off or free,

denied or dislodged,

but rather would

r e m a i n.

— C.Birde, 8/22

Endless — A Poem

A landscape photo of dried earth and clumps of tough, yellowing grasses beneath a white-cloud-filled, rainless, blue sky.
“August Plains” — C.Birde, 8/22

Overhead,

the Dog Star pants

& prowls a sky stretched

blue & rainless,

casts unhurried shadows

upon once-green grasses

stitched through

with summer’s leonine heat

turned rasping,

wheaten.

— C.Birde, 8/22

Here — A Poem

A photograph taken in Rocky Mountain National Park -- foreground of scrubby grasses, middle ground of conifers, background of mountains & bye sky.
“Old Fall River Road,
Rocky Mountain National Park” — C.Birde, 8/22

Locusts

     applaud

our efforts at the fringe

of pinetops & wind

set sharp against

the mountain’s

falling hip,

with thinned

& thinning blue sky

     caught

about our crowns

& wildflowers

nodding,

     sighing at our

earth-dusted feet –

“Yes,

oh, yes,

you’re truly

     h e r e.”

— C.Birde, 8/22

“Wildflowers, RMNP” — C.Birde, 8/20

Muse — An Image

A photo of a pink coneflower in a wildflower garden, coupled with a brilliant shaft of light.
“Coneflower & Light” — C.Birde, 7/22

With sidelong glance

& gesture,

she remarked:

“I

am my own

M u s e.”

— C.Birde, 7/22