A Sparrow's Song
Green metal table
under a sign
houses sparrows
waiting to dine.
Little fat sparrow under the tree,
little fat sparrow, a crumb from me.
I sat at a table
a muffin in hand,
tossing blueberries
to each of the band.
Little fat sparrow under the tree,
little fat sparrow, a crumb from me.
I see a plump cat
licking his chops,
grooming his feet,
and watching them hop.
Little fat sparrow under the tree,
little fat sparrow, a crumb from me.
Watch for the cat.
Fight for the crumbs.
Raise little chicks—
one by one.
**This poem was printed in Inside Out, a collaboration with several poets.
15 comments:
I love your first stanza...there is something about the green metal table which makes this such a strong image. And great rhyme.
Thank you ECM.. it was a fun poem to write.
I loved the image of the cat :) I can never do rhymes, I lose my whole intent. Well done!
Hi Tammy...
I wrote this that first year when I was doing IV chem every four weeks. It was a nauseating time.
:-)
I am surprised that I did so well.
That's an interesting fact about this poem. It makes it even more surprising that it is so cheerful and positive. It is, isn't it?
Yes, twitches...it is... I had a lot of people including my husband trying to help me make it. :-)
This is delightful! And this morning, in my front yard, there was about 30 young quail (plus a few adults). They were young enough that when they jumped around you could still see fluff under their feathers. All finding something out there to eat. I should scatter some seeds from my lovebird's cupboard.
Also, appropos of nothing: did you know that on frosty mornings you can see bird's breath? Little white puffs....don't know why that should be so surprising, tho'.
I was so excited when I saw this title. By some twist of fate, lately, a couple of the songs that have spoke to my heart have been about birds. Perhaps it's the idea of flying away, on the momentum of my own "wings" that resonates in me.
Some sparrow-inspired music (if you're interested):
A Bird Flies Out - the Weepies
Winter's Come and Gone - Gillian Welch
The whimsy of the Sparrow's Song was wonderful. It drew up a smile with it's lyrical melody and imagery - you have such breadth as a writer, I am amazed. A chameleon of words!
Hi Cynthia,
Great reading your stuff.
i love this one... i love it..it's so cute and sweet...it's so nice..great job..i'm glad it was published so that so many could enjoy..
I love this sweet poem - and to read that you wrote it while feeling so bad intensifies it somehow.
pepek.. I love watching the new birds as they learn all the important things for survival. We have little female finch that jumps on our table and eats thistles... she announces herself first with a cheep, cheep, cheep, cheep.
superhero... thank you... I used to sit alot when I was ill (I am still ill of course, but I feel better)... and watch the birds. And there were days that I wished that I could fly away... :-)
Belle... Thank you... I love that you are part of my audience.
Chana thank you.. :-)
chiefb... why thank you... it was a rough time. :-)
Cynthia,
Hey, this is Mike Harris...Happy Birthday!!!
I had to read your poem and let me tell you, I LOVE IT!
Enjoy your birthday and may you have many more!
Mike
Mike... thank you...
So what's happening? I hear from Lynn quite a bit. How are you feeling about retiring???
Hugs. Cyn
Post a Comment