BIRD BREATH
BIRD BREATH AND BEE STING
square suburban yard in the vinyl
swimming pool lightening overhead
groundhogs tremble in bushes before
attacking youngest brother father never
believed him but the rest of us do
other brother stung repeatedly fell into verdant
ravine one day late spring mother & neighbour
mother carry him to local doctor who loves
mother’s best friend
older brother waits for us menacingly we who
have plucked every flower on street for Mother’s
Day police catch baby bro chubby legs too slow
friend asks why we stole the dinkytoys because we wanted them!
blood-red cardinal falls from tree & shivers in the snow as
boat-loads of freedom from childhood melodramas wing their way
but haven’t arrived just yet
—
Late Fall 2013
