Full — A Poem

An artfully altered photo of the Full Moon rising over the Porcupine Islands of Maine's Frenchman Bay.
“Full Moon” — C.Birde, 9/21

Sea

calmly addressing

rocky shore,

wavelets undulating

Moon

lifting, watery & fully

formed,

the surrounding dark,

obliterating

And I,

breath and pulse

re-synchronizing,

one witness amid those

witnessing

And I,

my pockets brimming

with silvered,

shining,

chiming slips of light

to carry home.

— C.Birde, 9/21

Asters — A Poem

An artfully altered photo looking up through the leafy stems and pink blooms of New England Asters.
“New England Asters” — C.Birde, 9/21

Air,

thick ribbed

with insect song;

Sky,

stretched taut

with cloud,

thinned blue;

Tremor,

soft wrenching,

     v i s c e r a l.

I think of you.

Small birds

sway clinging

to seed heads,

blown…

Always,

I think of

you.

 

— C.Birde, 9/21

Beh(o/e)ld — A Poem

An artfully altered photo of a field of tall sunflowers against a cloudy blue sky.
“Sunflowers” — C.Birde, 9/21

A thousand suns

lift their heads

& turn as one

Unseeing

Unblinking

Bee-scented

rays a-tremble

Attuned to

unfathomable

source &

soundless

song.

— C.Birde, 9/21

Freedom — A Poem

An artfully altered photo of a rain-slicked wildflower garden in a 100-plus-year-old suburb.
“Garden of Rain” — C.Birde, 9/21

This morning,

at breakfast,

clad in green smoke,

Humming-girl paid

a visit and darted

between the fizz and

drizzle of gray rain,

unspattered.

Mid-air, she paused –

suggestion of form

and wings; an aura,

a blur –

to observe us encased

in our glass-walled

box.

We think ourselves

sovereign. Free.

Absurd.

In a breath and a wink,

she was

gone.

— C.Birde, 9/21

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