Fringe — An Image

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“Swordleaf Elecampane” — C.Birde, 7/18

 

 

Benefits,

elements,

lunatics,

& surreys –

all improved

with a touch

of fringe.

 

— C.Birde, 7/18

 

 

 

Summer Fiction — A Poem

Sun Dial
“Sun Dial” — C.Birde, 7/18

 

Promises –

measured in fireflies,

rising mercury,

night’s contraction;

Illusion –

heartfelt,

collective,

persistent;

There will be more

time.

Causal & corollary,

the tasks increase –

with each coveted inch

of light,

each slow-tracking bead

of sweat.

Mirage.

Fever dream.

Summer fiction.

 

— C.Birde, 7/18

 

 

Brood — An Image

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“Brood” — C.Birde, 7/18

 

The gray and brooding sky

beguiles and

— at long last —

softens

the Summer day star’s

brutal,

blinding eye.

 

— C.Birde, 7/18

 

Burden — A Dream

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“Burden” — C.Birde, 7/18

 

The room is too small, the ceiling too low. A living room – beige walls, soil-brown carpet; cramped and crowded with worn, shabby brown plaid furniture. A room too small for comfort, too small for living. Yet, a young woman sits on the floor, pulling at the carpet’s fibers; and a large, elderly woman sits, at the room’s center, astride…

…a horse.

An enormous horse. Beyond Draft or Belgian or Clydesdale dimensions. Beyond the room’s capacity to contain it. A horse so large the arch of its bowed neck approaches the ceiling’s cracked plane; so large, the round, fleshy woman it bears must hunker forward over its withers or strike her head.

The horse paces a slow circle with heavy, dragging hooves, wears away the carpet, step by step, thread by thread.

The woman astride the horse dismounts, hands over the reins. Scale the great creature’s side…try to maintain a seat…slide, forward and down, along the horse’s bent neck. Catch knotted handfuls of mane; clamp  knees to prevent inexorable decent.

The horse flattens its ears against its skull, peels back its whiskered lips to reveal large, yellow teeth. It rolls great dark eyes backward to survey — unkindly, impatiently — its new and unwieldy burden.

 

— C.Birde, 7/18

 

Falling — An Image

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“Falling” — C.Birde, 6/18

 

Each

single

separate

solitary

drop

slips

slides

surrenders

as one to

f

a

l

l

i

n

g.

 

— C.Birde, 6/18

 

 

Longing — A Poem

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“Longing” — C.Birde, 6/18

 

With ladder, broom,

and twine,

we train —

the vines and I;

together climb

toward light,

extend and weave,

tendrils seeking,

inch by precious inch,

height and purchase,

something solid

on which to cling

in our abiding

search.

 

 

— C.Birde, 6/18

 

 

Stone, Wood, & Paper — An Image

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“Kenmare Stone Circle” — C.Birde, 6/18

 

At the stone circle’s head,

amongst the strips and slips

and tags of paper

fluttering

in the Hawthorn Tree,

I set my wish —

Words scrawled

on a lined sheet folded,

shaped and creased  —

A paper crane,

with a prayer for Peace

nested at its

heart.

 

— C.Birde, 6/18

 

Remember — An Image

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“Remember” — C.Birde, 6/18

 

Count

the shades of green.

Consider —

shifts of light,

and breeze-stirred

leaves…

Count again.

Again.

Until birdsong fills

that over-muscled organ

secured beneath

protective ribs.

Until the memory

surfaces —

This

is

the way.

 

— C.Birde, 6/18

 

 

 

Perfume — A Poem

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“Honeysuckle” — C.Birde, 6/18

 

 

The air

so sweet in June,

perfumed, anointed in

mock orange and honeysuckle

bloom — breathe.

 

— C.Birde, 6/18