August — An Image

An artfully altered photo of a reed and flower filled meadow, with tower cattails.
“Rattlesnake Meadow, August” — C.Birde, 8/21

“I will lounge…”

she extended her limbs,

“…in all my cholorophylled,

green-gold glory

& drink August

to its last,

sweet

dregs.”

— C.Birde, 8/21

Goldfinch — A Poem

An artfully altered photo of a male American Goldfinch, perched amongst a bed of blooming wildflowers.
“Goldfinch” — C.Birde, 8/21

Too slight

to bend

the primrose stem,

They perch –

small bright motes

of yellow light –

and pluck

the coneflowers’

seeded

crowns.

— C.Birde, 8/21

Summer Slice — A Poem

An artfully altered photo of sliced peaches on a white plate.
“Peaches” — C.Birde, 8/21

Gluttonous of peaches –

I am grasping

  greedy

    miserly to shameful

degree.

“Let the juice run down

the chin”?

Nonsense.

Folly.

Shameful profligacy.

Serrated knife peels

brushed-velvet skin,

slices slim bright grins

from deep-grooved

stone.

Like myth & love,

I swallow whole.

Every liquid vein,

each mouthful –

  mine alone.

    Savor

      savor…

Ingest

the whole of Summer’s

transient warmth,

ward against impending

cold.

— C.Birde, 8/21

Column, Shifted — A Poem

An artfully altered b&w photo of a fence, representative of a spinal column.
“Column” — C.Birde, 8/21

Grit teeth grinding

bone-on-bone

Internal skree

of brittling dust

falls d-o-w-n

the shift-stacked

ivory column

Collects

Barnacles

Erodes smooth glide

of movement

Nibbles

Gnaws

Bites

A dull, full-rayed star

radiating dis-

ease.

— C.Birde, 8/21

Fledging Wisdom — A Poem

An artfully altered photo of a cluster of hot pink miniature roses.
“Roses” — C.Birde, 8/21

There –

there it is…

Rub of grit

Scrape of coal

Shard

at the center

of all things

Grief

in the rose’s

soft pleated heart

Unease

in summer’s blue

unclouded sky

Gather it up,

this unfledged

wisdom

Safeguard &

croon to it

Greet it gently &

grant it

a safe space

to root &

grow.

— C.Birde, 8/21

Descendant — A poem

An artfully altered photo, looking up through the interwoven crosshatch of leaves and branches of a burning bush.
“Flameless Burning Bush” — C.Birde, 7/21

She made no sound

Waited to be seen

within the flameless

burning bush

Shadow on shadow

Soot and smoke

Avian stroke of song

unsung

Each note contained

nested in gray breast

Then, as suddenly, seen

— a revelation perched

on gray-green twist

of twig.

— C.Birde, 7/21

Sweet Clover — An Image

An artfully altered close-up photo of a single white clover blossom.
“Sweet Clover” — C.Birde, 7/21

“I am vast,

expansive…

I am the smallest

of small…”

She tilted

a smile.

“I am

– like you –

a pleasant contradiction

of selves.”

— C.Birde, 7/21

Bee Tree Psalm — A Poem

An artfully altered photo, looking up through the sunlit branches of a Linden Tree, aka American Basswood, aka Bee Tree.
“Bee Tree (Linden)” — C.Birde, 6/21

“Come,”

he said,

and lead me out

beneath the bee tree’s dome.

We stood together,

wreathed

in sweet saturated scent and

downward-descending drift

of apiarian song woven through

that namesake tree’s

flower-pricked upswept

boughs.

And we were one,

and we were one,

and we are ever

one.

— C.Birde, 6/21

Being — An Image

An artfully altered photo of a Linden Tree in full leaf.
“Linden” — C.Birde, 6/21

“I perfume

the air

with my being…”

She did not brag,

merely spoke

truth.

“You need

only

breathe.”

— C.Birde, 6/21

Occluded — A Poem

A symbolic augmented photo of a softly glowing white marble.
“Occluded” — C.Birde, 6/21

O

milky

pearled

occluded

eye

though

turned my way

you see me

not

colored

as the spots

that dot

your twins’

fawn-colored

coats

bless you,

mother of those

two sweet

ciphers

bless you,

your strength,

your wounds,

you keen half-

sight,

& welcome.

— C.Birde, 6/21