Wisdom — A Poem

An artfully altered photo of a Garter Snake moving through the leafmold along the forest floor.
“Garter Snake” — C.Birde, 5/22

Four snakes –

Slim black

          ribbons

of tongue-

flicking,

flexible life

          scrawled

across my path:

Four compass

          points

of blessing

Four strokes

          of wisdom

Four opportun-

ities to shed

          my skin

& begin

          again.

— C.Birde, 5/22

Lydia’s — A Dream

An artfully altered photo of a fawn, lying curled amidst green growth.
“Fawn” — C.Birde, 5/21

To lie

in soft grass,

slim green tongues

whispering

against ankles,

arms, & legs,

weaving

through hair &

white gauze gown

Body curved –

O, earthbound slip of

crescent Moon –

about the creature’s

small & delicate form

Tawny-furred &

white-star-spotted,

large soft ears

folded back against

elongated skull,

stilt legs bent

at sharp angles,

tail & flint hooves

tucked

And to know,

all in a rush –

like song & sunrise

& oak groves &

oceans –

that, in life,

this fawn was Hers

was Hers

H e r s

She is gone two years.

But O, Her fawn

endures.

— C.Birde, 2/22

Bliss — A Poem

An artfully altered photo of an Eastern Chipmunk.
“Eastern Chipmunk” — C.Birde, 5/21

To sit outdoors

in cool spring

air

wearing a shawl

of sunlight

& accomplishing

no more

than the disport

of small friends

unseen

in a season’s span,

in their garments

fresh & shining –

bliss.

— C.Birde, 5/21

Stay — An Image

Gwynnie.jpg
“Gwynnie” — 11/19

 

“Will you stay?”

Her wheaten

buff-gold

lemon-drop gaze

compells

without judgment.

“So that I

might

s

t

a

y

?”

 

— C.Birde, 11/19

 

 

Percussion — An Image

IMG_20190830_104021_984.jpg
“Eastern Chipmunk” — C.Birde, 8/19

 

Castanet

R  a T  t  L  e..

Dash

& dart…

Chipmunk

departs,

cheeks full

of

peanuts.

— C.Birde, 8/19

 

Persistence — A Poem

IMG_20180509_084259_297.jpg
“Squirrel” — C.Birde, 7/19

 

A triangulation

of squirrels

moon-white bellies

pressed

to cooling grass,

deliberates.

Slide-rule minds

consider

pergola

baffle

wind’s speed & direction.

Firctionless limbs

(five per each)

unaffected by

gravity

space

time.

A persistence

of squirrels

calculating

climbing

flying

empties the feeder

in ten minutes

flat.

 

— C.Birde, 7/19

 

Connection — Images

Chipmunk.jpg
“Chipmunk” — C.Birde, 6/19

 

 

Follow me

through the garden

and

I’ll feed you

all the peanuts

my pockets

can hold.

 

— C.Birde, 6/19

 

Chipmunk 2.jpeg
“Chipmunk” — C.Birde, 6/19

 

 

Wisdom & Whiskers — A Poem

Wisdom in Whiskers.png
“Wisdom & Whiskers” — C.Birde, 1/19

 

“When the student

is ready,

the teacher will

appear”…

I am not yet seated

to accept

this instant,

this moment,

this now —

and the sage

arrives.

Paws correct

posture;

rough tongue

adjusts hands’

placement;

trace of whiskers

prickles,

challenges

focus.

Lap

full.

Heart

open.

Progress gauged

by tail’s tip;

critique delivered

in rumble and

purr.

 

 

— C.Birde, 1/19

 

 

Pace — An Image

Screenshot_2018-11-16-09-22-18~2.png
“Orlando, Garden Snail” — C.Birde, 11/18

 

Snail’s pace —

wonderfully

well suited

to

snail space.

≈

 

— C.Birde, 11/18

 

Screenshot_2018-11-16-09-26-40~2.png
“Spiral” — C.Birde, 11/18

 

Little Green Snakes — A Dream

Little Green Snakes.png
“Little Green Snakes” — 10/18

 

Stop.

Just stop.

Don’t hand her another.

She’s too young, does not understand the harm she inflicts.

Each one – gripped in her dimpled, pudgy hands – wriggles, thrashes, droops,

is reduced to a limp length of still-brilliant spring green.

Laughing, she tosses them aside – lifeless; they land

belly up, curled on the flags beneath her high chair –

the first, the second, and the third.

Please – don’t hand her another.

She doesn’t understand.

Just stop.

Stop.

 

 

— C.Birde, 10/18