Caged — A Dream

An artfully altered photo of an antique birdcage.
“Cage” — C.Birde, 12/22

Uninvited,

     unexpected, they arrive…

Four men – stocky & absurd,

frowning in black overcoats

& bowler hats.

Crowding into the bathroom.

Bearing, between them,

a large birdcage –

ornate wire, curled & domed.

     On one perch,

     a red-gold parrot;

     on its twin,

     a second parrot’s skeleton;

     & on the cage’s floor,

     a lovebird contained,

          restrained,

     in a cube of wire mesh.

“We done did the best we could.”

Muttering,

     shuffling, the men depart as,

tumbling from its perch,

the parrot falls,

flashing red-over-gold…

The lovebird remains…

Love,

trapped —

     caged within

     a cage.

— C.Birde, 12/22

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

Little Dog Walks — A Poem

An overhead photo of a little brown dog (and one of her human's feet) standing in green grass and clover.
“Stand & Walk” — C.Birde, 9/22

Near

the stop sign’s

scarlet flare,

our feet

in a depth

of green,

green

grass

Patient –

     sensing,

     feeling,

     recollect-

     ing steps –

we stand

& wait for

the sweep

of Autumn’s

mournful

wings

to      p a s s.

— C.Birde, 9/22

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