trash birds
like the jay on the raveled power line
scrawing through cracked and chipping beak
like the motley robin bowing in the mud
singing silk-bellied grub from the earth
like the rock doves nestled in dingy down
cooing over the white-splattered ground
or like the dust-crowned sparrows
shouting in common chorus from the bush:
let the root of my tongue be supple
with the wonder of the ordinary
let me see this bright shard of world
and speak in my own voice what is good
Mary Lanham is a queer writer, editor, and collage artist based in Minnesota, USA. She is originally from the South; her accent is still around if you know where to look. Mary also hosts The Inspirited Word, a podcast exploring writing as a way out of the doom spiral and back onto the labyrinth path of creative and spiritual connection. Her online home is inspiritedword.com.
Amethyst Review 