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

Unnecessary — A Dream

An artfully altered photo of mirror-imaged trees, hedge, reflections to offer a dreamlike, psychedelic image.
“Unnecessary” — C.Birde, 8/21

Before

before I

before I can

   comprehend the

nature

nature of

nature of this

   funerary scene &

extend

extend my

extend my offer

   of service …

The scenario, in its entirety –

options, challenges, solutions –

have all efficiently been

noted, discussed, addressed

with no need of my aid &

I can

I can only

I can only stand &

   observe

from a distance

of un-necessity.

— C.Birde, 8/21

Tilt — An Image

An artfully altered photo of leaves and branches, swirled together at the center.
“Swirl” — C.Birde, 8/21

“Remember?

When first

we beheld

one another?”

She rustled

& sighed.

“How the world

tilted ‘round

our axis…”

— 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

Hands — A Dream

An artfully altered photo of a journal page -- words, pencil, sketches of hands and moths.
“Hands” — C.Birde, 8/21

Our hands move

Stir the dark

Reflect the light

emanating from her skin,

from the dusky spill

of her hair

Where she sits –

luminous, aglow –

in a high-backed chair

carved of ebony

Our hands –

pale moths winging

about her flameless

conflagration –

shift the aromatic

dark

Aflutter

Replicating her glow,

her light.

— C.Birde, 8/21

Wander — An Image

An artfully altered photo of a meadow, towering in a bloom of coneflowers, tickseed, black-eyed Susans, and evening Primrose.
“Meadow” — C.Birde, 8/21

“Go,

Stray,

Wander

as you must &

as you need…”

Her voice vined,

fruited

with wild grapes.

“When you return,

I will

astonish.”

— 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

Arthropodal Bloom — A Dream

An artfully augmented photo of peony flowers in full bloom.
“Arthropodal Bloom” — C.Birde, 7/21

No sooner

had they fallen,

that trembling sphere

of cicadas held immobile

& enmeshed in spider’s

webs;

Fallen & scattered

in arcane pattern strewn

over squares of white linen

spread over tar-papered

roof;

An arcane pattern

of gleeful arthropods

rewriting their future

as unbound individuals &

collective;

No sooner

had they fallen

into newfound freedom,

than they began,

in a grinning profusion

of pale pink petals,

to  b l o o m.

— C.Birde, 7/21