Bird Songs

Because I do not know the fabric of words, I

fashion you from a textile of memory; your silky

eyes; the tailored elements of your uniqueness

The world of you I design in the thick colors

of a sunset; the tangerine, papaya and mauve

(in another day we will never see together)

In the sharp, clear notes of bird songs that slice

through morning light, let me feel and see the

cacophony; the blessings of a new reality

I feel the lines of your face, count the dark

strands in the white of your hair and feel the

desire of fingers to memorize your temple; the

soft rounds of your face, the violet curves of your

lips; these, I have traced. I treasure the delight

that leaps from the subtle green and amber gems

in the ocean of your unspoken expressions

Deborah Russell, © 2006

MP3: PoetsCoop, Loveland Art Museum

Image: Dream of Flying, Oil/Mixed, DRussell, 06