-- A Feather in Remembrance --

John Herlihy

Once when roaming the seashore

I stumbled upon some ancient bird

There it was nestled by a rocky crag

It reposed on a bed of dried seaweed

With its head tucked under its wing

At first, I thought the bird was alive

Only to realize soon enough it was dead

My fancy caught, I tiptoed up from behind

Half expecting the startled bird to take wing

But no, the sea bird would never rise again

Into the sky to soar among clouds no more

Nor would it sit upon the sea, its playground

The bird’s feathers still alive in soft perfection

I took one, thinking the bird wouldn’t mind

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(c) John Herlihy 16 May 2020