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TRANSCRIPT
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Psalm Bird
Society
Spring Debut
April 2012
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Table of Contents: (This message will self-construct)
Disclaimer:
If you should stumble upon,
Obscured in distance, your wits get lost,
Sense a spy among us,
This is foolproof play, not fraud,
You’ve been provoked by Phoenix—
Paper bullets, miss your shot,
Resistance, resurrection borne,
When you think you have sighted her,
She’ll change form . . .
- H.
Balanced Beaming
It's not built in straw, and it shovels kind of weak.
Took a drill through the back, 6 feet up on a balance dream.
Waking up to scents of the bean within a pot, watch it steam.
-Phoenix
3
Baseball
I’ve got the Power.
I keep it on reserve.
I’d rather have them cower,
Than fail to catch the Curve.
-H.
4
Silent Teacher
My dogs have taught me a lot of things:
Pride, how to be patient,
Assertive and consistent,
Living in the moment, among so much more;
But most importantly,
They taught me how to flip six eggs at once.
-Birddog
5
Sold
Branded snow-capped trees
As untouchable
As they seem, so lifeless
This gracefulness
I sit in a comfy spot
Framing beauty
It is mine
No more
-Ruddy Turnstone
6
Dam Breaking
Imaginary cages, trapped, but not inside.
Infected by the flow, standing still as it rushes through.
Ruby red heels, tap tap atop the lies.
Reflection in your eyes of truths you cannot hide.
-Phoenix
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Flight Risk
Hundreds of loads of laundry done, lunches packed, dinners made,
Nights spent talking instead of sleeping.
You inspired me to right my wrongs as soon as I could.
I wanted to be the best version of me, for you.
But as time went on,
I realized my feelings were the only ones that were strong.
Last night you broke our plans, so I broke off our relationship.
However, what really happened was you broke my heart.
I told you, for the first time, that I loved you; I went home and then
Returned to you. In my hands, I carried a journal that I’ve been
Writing love letters to you in.
I had planned to give this to you the night before we became one.
But instead, I gave it to you when our shadows became singular as
we walked.
When Peter Pan lost his shadow, he lost his ability to fly.
Now that I lost your shadow next to mine, I search for my wings.
But as the great cardinal stands, bold beautiful and red,
I will also be strong, with a puffed out chest and a highly held head.
You have seen the tears I cried over you, and you offered your own
in my river.
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However, no longer will you see me weak or witness my lip quiver.
You are the first guy I’ve dated who deserved my time,
We were wise, so all I have is happy thoughts and memories I’m
glad are mine.
Will I ever sit down with you again; will I be a part of your life?
I’ve never had a civil break up where the man was not in the wrong.
This relationship was so functional; at times I felt I didn’t belong.
If I learned one thing from you, it is that I deserve a Godly man
who will treat me right.
I’m not sure who or when that man will come, but I will save him a
seat on my flight.
-Cardinal
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Leftover Spaces
Must buy a dishwasher so
I have somewhere to put all my sweaters.
Somewhere clever, so I won't remember.
-Phoenix
10
Vanisher of the Night
Substantial decay of a melodic dream
Hollowed caverns hellicious screams
Tiptoe, waterfall
Down, down, down, stream down
For where I go, tides low
For where I go, the darkness stands forth
Creature of the night
Night to the reach of an empty soul
Soul to the broken heart of a wanderer
There we were, cautious in our ways
Stranger in a dream, dreaming, oh I don't know
My mind was a race track among my thoughts
And within a blink of my cautious eye
The dark creature was a drifter amongst the mysterious air
A vanisher of the night, I fell
Down, down, down, stream down
Till I came to where the water is no more
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Upon a beautiful radiance in a land full of gloom
Why was I here? Where was I to go?
Look left to right, right to left
I thought maybe I understood it
But sense was oh so senseless here
My lungs hungry for air--I walked
Unknown, unridiculed, unjudged, wanderer of a dream
Passing spirits, counting sheep, dream state conscious
What choice was to be made here?
Heaviness caressed my body, preparing for my sweet embrace
The air was so tender, so beautiful
Coldness of the earth could not shock mere existence
To lie, dream a dream within a dream
Vanisher of the night
-Crow
12
Femme
You question My
Authority—
Religiously—
I am not Your equal;
I am Your cocoon.
-H.
13
Single Serving
All I can think and breathe
Is the sap slip sliding down in spirals from your mouth.
Hear it drop to the floor as it pools around our toes.
A forever to you is weeks in a vase
As the bees sip nectar out your pores.
- Yellow-Bellied-Sap-Sucker
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Just the Two of Us
Being a single parent is hard, with one it's bad, but two?
You work as much as your body allows, and pay the bills that are due.
You work two jobs, six days a week, and work more if you can,
Things fall apart; keep breaking down, the stove, the fridge, the fan.
You can't fix half of what you need, the money's just not there,
So you move on to other things and pretend you're unaware.
The kids come first, as it should be, the bills come next, then you,
You don't have time for friends or fun, or being weak or blue. When things go wrong, they look to you, they think you have the answer.
You must not cry, you must be strong, weakness is like a cancer.
You stand straight up and swear to fix it, and always do your best,
Give all you've got and so much more, and try to pass the test.
You don't have guests; you wouldn't dare to let anyone come in,
Your place is old and worn and hurt, like you, it just can't win.
You don't make plans without your kids, where you go, they go too,
Takes all you have to fill the tank, to do what you have to do.
At least you have a place to live and a way from here to there,
If your' kids weren't here you'd be alone, your love you couldn't share.
Life may seem hard, but worth it still, because you're blessed with love.
Your children are worth every step, they're sent from God above.
-Weaver Finch
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Strong Words
Strong words, strong minds,
World has little light left to shine.
We come, we go left unknown.
Great hearts, broken and outta time.
Stand against the test of life.
Beaten and shown,
Hidden, but still many holes,
Shine through with the Moon.
Quiet souls wander slow,
Looking for a new home,
No dreams quite of their own.
Lived great, died slow,
Gave reason to give a loud moan.
No eyes, they feel as they go.
Keep afloat, drifting toward
What they desire most—a heart.
Poor, little soul.
-Sharp Shinned Hawk
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Dovetail There is a field that slopes east from the kitchen door,
Down the field to a shallow creek. It was there when
My Great Grandfather and his Brother built
The eight room frame house in the Nineteenth century—
Same hill, same house today.
The day lilies growing by the road are new each summer.
I am eighty.
My mind thinks of itself as young,
My body reminds me there is a little less freedom.
No cartwheels.
No impulsive gardening.
No walks along the creek.
No walks even when the bluebells are in bloom.
No walks to the pond to watch for dragon-flies.
All the beauty that was furniture for my mind is
Stored in memories that grow less vivid.
I am stored, too, in a little house in town.
A nice little house, but somewhat like a storage box.
Schooling was the law.
Complaining was ignored.
One could not complain and be respected.
I couldn’t learn to read until
I memorized the words that went with
The pictures on each page of my Reader.
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I could see the pictures, but not letters.
I didn’t learn the names of many people in town.
I couldn’t see their faces.
Today I find it hard to learn names.
I am not quite inanimate,
Not folded neatly and tucked in a closet.
Much too unconventional to keep my opinions to myself.
But who wants to know?
There are no new victims to listen.
My family knows what I think;
The rest of the world seems caged in their points of view.
I want to warn them. This has happened before!
Down through history loud voices of the greedy have
Stolen and murdered their way to power.
We are trading off our common sense; we need common sense!
If we cannot see how valuable the poor, or children,
Or other nations are, the entire natural plan for
Mankind is defeated.
Nothing has true value unless it is used for Love.
All of existence began with an act of Creation.
Life is living.
Life is generous.
Selfishness is death.
–Mourning Dove
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Note to Reader: Mourning Dove is an Iowa native, born in 1932, during the Great Depression. The
farm house she was born in was built around 1904. The house remains in the family today—the title
in the name of Mourning Dove’s eldest daughter. Mourning Dove comes from a long line of American
Soldiers. Her Father’s brother fought in the First World War. Her father was enlisted, and sent to aid
in the recovery from the Great War. Her brother, William, joined an army band that was sent to Italy
during WWII but did not see battle. The women in the family were not so adventurous. Mourning
Dove spent most of her life in what she now refers to as “a sort of slavery” in which she was under
constant obligation to household chores and unpermitted to do much exploring. The freedom allowed
to her younger brother was cause for frustration. She explained to me that she did not know how,
then, to rebel. She did, however, brave some controversial reading by authors like Mark Twain. Her
rebellion skills have been sharpened over the years; refusal to surrender her car keys and repeated
threats to sneak away to the grocery store to stalk up on cookies and sweet-cakes are evidence of such
progress. She also has a surreptitious way of critiquing the amoral women of her granddaughter’s era.
-H.
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I Drink Coffee All Day
Shake me out the window, like your old boot mat.
Don't worry, I'll find my own dinner, just like a stray cat.
I wander along the streets like the leaves in the fall,
Are you wondering if, back to you, I will crawl?
Your mental state decreases, I dare to question.
Maybe you should get some help, I don't know, just a suggestion.
Tables will turn and you'll be the fish behind glass.
I don't think they have prescriptions for your disease, Jackass.
You've given me a gift, Santa calls them presents,
I'm so relieved to no longer suffocate in your presence.
You can't mold me; I'm not made out of clay.
I just want to drink coffee and play.
Read a book or write a hook
You can't touch, but you can look.
You won't ever push my button
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Since you changed your mind all the sudden.
Didn't want to work it out, just lash my back
and put me out. Social skills is what you lack.
Don't tell me to relax, I can't be conditioned,
Simply because I am beyond submission.
I bit your skin, it tasted vile,
How do I still stand and smile?
Your ignorance is my bliss,
Finally slipped away into the purple abyss.
Love lost is love gained.
Limbs free from lackluster chains.
This is just the end; you won't see the beginning,
Not until you’re down on your knees begging.
-Phoenix
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We Are
We are strong, more than most know.
We are independent and are the world's backbone.
We are fierce and confident.
We are caretakers and healers.
We have our hearts broke easily,
Hoping the right one will ease the pain.
We give the meaning to life;
We watch and feel as the children of the world grow within us.
We bring forth a miracle that no man could understand
The true meaning of child bearing.
We are like a flower that
Some get cut down
And taken home
And never get to grow
Free and Will no more
We are tender, firm, sweet and loving.
We stand strong when we are called upon.
-Sharp Shinned Hawk
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Free Rein I
From the corners of her womb
A tiny little creature Spinning cartwheels in the dark
Like a water-wheel Impulse’s crackling spark—
With this—the wheels turn
From ashes to the yearning
Lingering relentless shadows
Lightning in the clouds—
Pray for this connection
Wormwood in her walls
Without the blood that follows
Her woes still spell the name—
He asks, Are you not Woman?
She sighs, The very same…
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Repetition
I am many pieces to a puzzle, don't be confused by the
double sided mystique. Over pick, pecking like a chicken,
but the pile is too deep. (Your) problem is you're only
looking with your eyes—quickest way to glimpse a lie.
Unfinished, it isn't just about business, the tick-tocking in
your ears, as time repeats itself. I'm tired of repeating
myself, flip the switch to the recorder and paint my words
with the tunes. Unknown elation from a song which
appears sad, rejoicing that which frolics in the moon.
-Phoenix
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Deception
Beguiling while we
Stretch our bent—
Appendages.
Call me your Decepticon.
In Labyrinths like—
Sporadic Innovation.
Smiling through my maquillage—
Consume the rat I am
The cage—
Whose rage contained
Within my claws?
You wouldn’t understand what
Isn’t for you—
The blows would break
The bow.
-H.
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Smog
Fade behind a mask, is it a dream or hallucination?
What is it to really know another person,
The inner workings of the mind?
A facade, ever changing. Never knowing.
A whole new resolution,
I am sick from your pollution.
-Phoenix
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Black Cat Swag
Cats—
Do not
Travel in packs.
I am that—
Shadow approaching—
black—cat—swag.
Your holster is empty.
Boy, you haven’t got the knack.
Dust-storm and i’m counting
You—
Like a grain of sand.
Before you spin around
All you hear is my boots clap.
Echo the Sound—her whisper
whistling
pow.
pow.
meow.
-H.
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Beyond Avail
You can't know, not ever smelling.
Moving forward, you need no feet to go.
Screaming, yelling, voices soar into never hearing ears.
Whisper to a soul—spoken at max capacity—energy
Without control.
-Phoenix
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Poetic Rebuttals
Hummingbird: No denying; a woman from her maquillage, there
is no prying. *)
Phoenix: I cling like static upon the pry. Save the make-up for when I die. #)
Blue Jay: Your face is terrorism to my heart.
Hummingbird: This place, I saw, through fair doors—you,
Casting prisms from the dark.
Hummingbird: We’re riding the wave lengths the rest of the world fears.
(soul-surfers)
Phoenix: Beware of the sharks whom swim in shallow waters.
(Good thing my arms are detachable)
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Arsenal
Trapped within thoughts, lost in a field of mine.
Watching steps because you've lost your sight of dog.
Flashes of whether, to shore to sea, all while you're busy
blinking.
Locked in your mind you've missed all the signs,
Not so much as an inkling.
-Phoenix
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Re: Arsenal
Don't blow up on me; my steps are serpentine and fluid.
I sing in sorrow, prayers—calling the one who masters me
Home—her echoes over static death that lingers in the fog.
Lead me, blind eyes—ears adhere to the sound of in-sight cries.
Light burn the night sky, electric impulse of your nerve,
Dare to ask—why?
Paint stretching the canvas—your mind, like water—wide,
Tears—hope or frustration, the choice—only touched by God,
Pulled the tremor from me, and the friction broke the dawn.
-H.
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Crown Moulding
Your spine is showing, but it isn't strength. My motions
are worn smooth from the sand-paper pressure of your
teenage angst. Nearly three quarters of a century gone by.
When did the world become a slip n slide? Water running
down the earth, but no one notices the sticks protruding
from the mud. Hardened into clay by the heat of the
sun’s kiln. That which is bitter was once the nectar of
something sweeter.
- Yellow-Bellied-Sap-Sucker
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Life on the Fence
All my life I have sat upon this fence.
I stand, and walk, to practice my agility
When those two crowds come collecting.
My left leg extends parallel to the picket-line.
I am like a dancer now—
Branching out as if the planks I trot along weren’t
Dead.
My back faces them, whichever way I turn.
With sandalwood for fingers, I brush them smooth
Like fluid to a stone.
What they do not do for me—
Will not—or—Can not
I turn to the other—in constant fluctuation.
Here the Haves—Hear the Have-Nots
I calculate their atoms; I find the same old densities.
Equality—Pisces, Libra, Gemini
I am Sagittarius in the sky.
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I am no static merchandise.
Like wave-lengths—I walk serpentine and wide,
Twirling down the aisle on blades of wood.
In feather-weighted feet I dodge their bullets,
Trying to play mediator—they only see the median.
As my fence grows higher, I dig, and dig—
I dig! I dig! I dig! I dig!
And try to recompense—redundant are the tracks.
Rhythm of the Railway—Alas!
This is where I blossom; this is where I want.
I pray here—the pastures—my referendum.
I vote to break the wall.
There are far too many flags, and too much pride.
I remember green and here our feet—
Have trampled it to mud.
-H.
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1 Month, 3 Years, and 1 Day
You've heard about time zones—this is my line.
It doesn't really pass, no, not really.
Journey continues, perhaps doomed to repeat.
Refuse to look past the negative effects of reality.
Harsh as a cigarette to my throat,
In designs, the smoke appears a beauty most humane.
Assumptions of knowledge, a feeling, as I do not see.
Looking glass or mirror—it's all tricks to me.
Getting paid to satisfy another, left pruney with disdain.
If you want to get some—love someone.
Independently, accepting without expectation.
Forgiving without dismissing.
Alternating persona, a transferring face
Upon a detachable body.
Unzipped skin thrown in cycle, rinsin’.
-Phoenix
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Re: 1 Month, 3 Years, and 1 Day
Smoke and Mirrors, yes.
Playing on my fears, but I take
Good advice and digress.
Loving every element,
Each atom, as a child.
Existence, mad.
Vanity is Fair in Love and War.
But the Power of the Poet is in
Her endless stretch of wardrobe.
-H.
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Swollen
Heavy is the heart that's bursting with sighs.
Captivated by a soul, searching through hungry eyes.
Pry it open, what's inside?
Trapped within, there's nowhere to hide.
To be educated, one must be motivated.
Yet all we do is keep them sedated.
-Phoenix
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Don’t Ask Questions
It’s like when you’re young and your parents tell you,
“Because I said so.”
Right away—we’re trained not to question authority.
They do not want resistance. They want to mold us.
We are discouraged from asking questions—
“That’s just the way it is.”
“Because I’m the boss.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
It’s different to hear these things from our parents.
For the most part—our parents Love US.
Our governments did not give birth to US.
They are borne of us—en masse.
-Lyrebird
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Numbers Moving Within a Line
Maybe I could say maybe all night.
Gaze, lie, and smirk in time.
Bound in leather, screwed too tight.
The lonely hunter purrs in rhyme.
Life you can evade, but death you shall not.
-Phoenix
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Vendetta
Osama Bin Laden is dead—
I heard it on the News.
One man’s life is taken to avenge
Three thousand innocent lives, and
Every Soldier sacrificed,
Civilians—
Tell me, Captain and Lieutenant,
Are you satisfied?
There are
Eleven thousand homeless
Children in this state—alone.
-Lyrebird
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Junior High
If life is all about taking time then why does it rush by so
fast? Try being 11 and going into middle school.
Everything changes. It’s hard to tell who your real friends
are. It’s like being lost in a jungle surrounded by wild
tigers (teenagers). It’s especially hard with boys. They
should be grateful considering girls are the ones who
brought humans to existence! But, as we see teenagers we
think, why is a needle being stuck into your skin cool?
Why is filling your lungs with smoke cool? All of these
questions start with why! Our parents can warn us and
protect us with words but really, is it our choice to make
these decisions? Growing up is never easy with the shadow
of temptation always behind us!
-Chickadee
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Man of my Dreams,
Where have you been? Almost 6 years since I’ve seen you last. Things have
changed. Changed in good ways. Changed in ways that I know you’d be proud of.
I miss you more than I could ever express in words. I’ve needed you. She is 11
now, and smarter than most children. She is beautiful. I wish you could see. He
is almost 2. He is a curious child full of wonders. Looking into his face always
brings a smile bigger than life. I know we’ve had our disagreements, but you’ve
broke my heart. All the cruel words you’ve allowed to be spoken, all those times
you neglected to be my advocate. You’ve broken my heart. I’ve felt your love in
big ways. We use to laugh, and you were my best friend. You were always my
hero. You are tall, dark and handsome. You are the hardest worker I know, and
that hasn’t changed. Your quick wit was the best, and the laughter we shared is
unparalleled to any laughs I’ve had since. None of that seems to matter now
though, because you’ve broken my heart. I want things to be different, but it’s
almost too late. I want you to be stronger, but you’re never going to be. I want
you stand up for me, guide me, and do right by me. I want you to stand up for
what’s right and not what’s convenient. But mostly I want to feel like you love
me and care. I know you do, but I don’t feel it anymore. I feel like you are
disappointed and sad. Like you are a victim, but you’re not. You have allowed
an outsider to draw your lines in the sand. But I don’t want to fight anymore; I
lower my flag and bow. You can have the best of both, but I am still waiting.
You are now the ring leader and you won’t allow it to stop. I would love for you
to say, I will see you soon—but I also know this won’t happen. Please help me,
please love me, and please care. I love you dad, and I hope soon you won’t just be
the man of my dreams but here when I’m awake. -Great Blue Heron
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Arithmetic
What is it then—that divides us?
Color, Class, Religion—no.
The chasm is
Lack of Compassion.
Egocentrism and Greed.
I look on strangers—and
I love them.
My Travel Companions.
Builders of the Pyramids,
The Serpent changes skins.
-Lyrebird
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Untitled
I am a writer,
It is what I do,
Have I written anything
Of importance to you?
Perhaps you say no,
I really don’t care,
Drag a rusted old comb
Through my matted old hair.
I wonder where I am going,
Wonder where the fuck I’ve been.
Does any of it even matter?
I wish you could have seen;
The pain behind my eyes,
The sorrow behind my smile.
For you I’d give it up,
I would have traveled miles.
Instead you were the one who traveled,
To a foreign place and land,
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To fuck an Asian Prostitute
And kill my soul with the touch of your hand.
But whatever, fuck it
I’ll pretend I don’t care
While you run in the breeze
With your stupid fucking hair.
I feel a dead spot inside me,
And it’s starting to grow,
I’ll grow old and afraid
To let my real feelings show.
I hope you’ll always know,
No matter how bad things may get,
That I loved you the most
And have only one regret;
That our love was not strong enough
To transcend through time and space,
To that certain time when we had it,
To that certain lingering place
Where only we existed,
Where only our hopes and dreams collide
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I hope the pain will leave me,
I hope the heartache will subside.
I loved you the most
And I probably always will
Is this what I wanted?
Is it really worth the thrill?
So here I sit alone
Drinking in this lonely place.
I hope that one day I’ll see
That beautiful smile on your face.
-Nightingale
46
Forward Motion
I have bad habits, but I'm not rabid.
The past has passed; there is no place to dwell there.
I don't look back to avoid getting whiplash.
-Phoenix
47
Realizations
I feel the momentum building, winding inside of me. The horoscope
stares straight through to my soul from the computer screen. Do
something now, it says. Whoa, I think. That’s intense. It isn’t loud, or
screaming in my face, in fact it is quiet unthreatening. I could easily click
out of my email and read the next one never giving second thought to it.
But because I am asking for an answer, one comes falling into my lap.
I choke back a slight gasp. I am not sure exactly what it means, only
that it does. My unknown messenger is right. About everything. How does
it know me? I stare at the screen more, asking it quietly what to do.
“What is it that you want me to do? Do I keep this baby, breaking
old patterns and move forward? Do I become the mother and wife of this
home? Do I consider the once unthinkable option for a fourth time in my
quest to be an artist? I already have two children, what does it matter?”
Again, the screen remains quiet and unchanging. The cursor
blinking back into the depths of my being. It’s so evidently there, but I just
can’t quite reach it. Frustrated brilliance, my mind is torturing me. I fall to
my knees, looking up at the ceiling next to the fireplace in his living room.
If the computer will not tell me its purpose, perhaps the one they call God
will remove the veil from my eyes.
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“God, I need a sign. Right now. The computer told me to do
something now, so which thing do I do? Do I stay and have this baby? Do
I run? I could go visit my sister in Hawaii, travel to California this summer
and continue to chase my dreams. But don’t I have to change that old
pattern? How can I change something that just feels so right to me?”
I open my eyes, and to my absolute astonishment, nothing has changed.
The house, including the ceiling are still intact. No clouds or lightning
bolts, no chariot of fire. I promptly with a, “humph!” sit down on the
white rug. My back is warm from the fire; I look at my cup of coffee now
the perfect temperature for consumption, and move my eyes from the cup
to the laptop. Nothing different, just the three simple ordinary words.
DO SOMETHING NOW.
And then, completely out of nowhere, it comes. Like a runaway
train, no brakes. No subtle quietness anymore. I frantically look for my
pen, my notebook, anything! I could type. I am staring at a computer
screen after all. I need to write this down, I need to be able to express how
this moment feels. Pick apart my thought process in these moments of
massive insight. Or as I call them madness.
I can see the forest for the trees. I understand that it doesn’t matter.
It’s not a question of whether I stay, or go. It’s not a flight or fight. It
sounds so oddly comforting, flight. Run. Get out before you get hurt. Or
fight, stay and fight off the consequences of not flying when you had the
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chance. But what if I didn’t have to do either? Yes, it’s so clear to me.
Don’t fight, or fly, just be. And where can you be? In your thoughts. Your
day to day realizations of life’s important lessons. Embrace them. Be in
them. Write them down. And that’s doing something. It may not be
paying the bills, or moving into my boyfriend’s house. It’s not something
that will change the course of my life, give me a direction, or quiet the
maddening moments of what-ifs. It’s just writing it down simply for the
fact that maybe someone will understand. Someone has been here, begging
the almighty for an answer when it’s just staring quietly, waiting for you to
receive and process it at lightning speed, leaving you feeling a bit
whirlwindish and crazy, but at complete and utmost peace.
-Nightingale
50
If My Life Were an Open Book
I see
You—
Walking with your head down.
Do not focus so much energy
On the foot-notes.
This Story is Magnificent
And has been—
Written for You
To learn
As you go along—
Look up—instead
In the far corners
When You
Forget
How far
You’ve come—
The pages will grow thinner.
Smile once before
The Moments
Gone.
-H.
51
LOST reception
Can't you see it with your antenna?
Did you try plugging it in?
You have to push that button over here,
but you have to flip this switch first.
Also, if you didn't start with the antenna down
then you have to go back to the beginning.
-Phoenix
52
The Redemption of Amy Levy
Easy you
Could fake a smile
The Levy breaking
All the while
Dark—
Waters of your eyes
That raged
Came to a fall
At the Crossroads
Sunday.
Bronte would have fought the dark clouds
Cowardless fists swooping down
Snatching you up with her
Alien claws of scorn
In that Old House
Were you
Who
Died to be
Reborn?
-H.
53
Open Windows
Deep in shadow, I feed the light.
Embers awarded with kerosene,
A thirst that will not cease
Mirrors a flame which cannot burn.
Laughing, flaunting my childish delight.
Exposing a hungry mind eager to learn.
-Phoenix
54
Free Rein II
This—
He also sighed,
This shall be your birth-right—
But, Father, have I strength—
To fold before the climb?
Daughter—you are woman,
Born to bear a life
The universe within
Sisters’ laps will widen
Your prosperity
Will instead come from
The pulsing in your palms
This—is where you bear your scars
Here and in your chest—
Fathomless—
Your bosom wrought, compressed
Here the welcomed pressure
From my fists’ investments…
55
Pair of Lies
Parasites left me paralyzed,
IV drip, drift in paradise.
Lost in a paradox
Overcome with paranoia.
Awaken Paramount.
-Phoenix
56
Orb Weaver
Parallel we placed our palms—
In parting of our psalms.
Perpendicular the planes—
Corridors unlocked by name.
Weaver of the Orb,
Forever 8 legs extend,
The bowsprit broke the wall—
Electric Consonance
Her—
Liquid confidence.
Behind the looking glass,
To hear my Mother weep
Could cause a God
To grieve.
I—so like her—heavy
Had it weighed on me
The Question—
And
Would I
Have her wait?
Had I a choice?
Were there not
Evidence enough within
The trailings of my voice?
57
The Cat Who Could
Creating Universes
Stood—
Foolproof in the folly
Of those very Verses.
-H.
58
CDL
Traveling Gypsy, I travel to you.
Trading treats for tricks—see,
They don't know what I view.
Dust of a Pixie, hair off the dog,
We've all got addictions—mine is a choice.
-Birddog
59
Take It Slow
Life puts us on a scale from 1 to 100. And it’s our job to
climb this scale as time goes by. As some of us skyrocket
to the top others stay behind and conquer one thing at a
time. The universe gives you a limited amount of chances
in life. And it gives you a certain amount of time in life to
take these chances! We should learn to be patient and
independent but others seem to grow more demanding
and always having life rush by! When your only 11 like
me, it’s hard for you to realize how fast your childhood
can be taken away from you! The earth is also a powerful
place controlled by time.
-Chickadee
60
Ingenuity
The Poet Loves
The Engineer.
He Reads Her
Recorded Dreams
And Builds Her Fortresses.
-H.
61
Children Are Not An Experiment
Some are smooth, some have ridges.
There are those that groove, full of grains,
What precious riches.
Herbs dance amongst the earth children,
Swirled in sauce.
Drunken noodle.
-Phoenix
62
Dinner Special
Her blood is seasoned with
The salt of the Pacific.
Ribs caged by the Rind,
Ageless in her Prime.
This cut from the Incline.
Metaphor—her Medium,
Tender—yes—and Rare!
Guests here do not Order her,
Their wallets wouldn’t Dare!
-H.
63
Tall Glass of Water. 100% Natural
Juicy, I knew you didn't need a restraint.
Like your painted eye you are unique to the world.
Your soul will live forever in history as the brightest
Marble known to cheese.
You cheesed me but I tamed
The magical two toned beast.
So cheese that JB.
-Birddog
64
St. Patty
Think green.
Letchya shoulders lean. I’m an Irish lass, so kiss me.
Weaving gold—a spell you can’t grab hold,
The colors break the crust—the fault lies in the thrust,
Boulders kicking up—black boots laced and leather gloves.
Fists stained red with scars and mud—ruler of the pub.
Heavy was my heart—blinding was my laughter.
I pushed through the muck—from home
To here on after—freedom stride and
Strength—run through my
Byrnin’ Blood.
-H.
65
Energy (is speaking)
In a world of ignorance the mind steps forward.
Shaking it's head, hung low, in defeat.
It boils over seeking comfort, for knowledge, for retreat.
Days spent gathering breath, to achieve balance—
remaining assertive and aware.
It is not acceptable to eat off someone else's plate without
a proper invitation.
-Phoenix
66
Free Rein III
Dreamer
You are wild—
Rebel mustang
Untied cut-throat reigns
Hoof prints in the earth
Align your toes with mine
This madness—
From flesh to
Formless rapture—
Devine.
-Hummingbird
67
Letter From Editor to Editor:
Phoe: Under Construction
R*w.o.w. Production
Vanity creating Serenity
Hum: Ah, that’s just me—walking along
The beams—drilling shrill coiled bullets,
Spin heads till they scream like
Chrystal glass—my claws are longer than
The frail arms of the laws
You and I—borne to edify,
Brave the tracks lain where
Their testimonies lack.
Ah, and with the power,
Eyes rapid, rolling forward and back.
Some beg to hang the Gypsy—
But, it’s bad luck to kill a Cat.
Phoe: We walk the lines—doing no wrong
Leading us to our salvation, point to point.
Burning in the sun, the Phoenix laments its song.
Pouring upon your brow, sliding into your mouth,
Washing away a bitter taste, but you taste nothing now.
68
Stay tuned till July! Editors:
Hummingbird
Phoenix
Nightingale
The Psalm Birds:
Phoenix
Hummingbird
Nightingale
Great Blue Heron
Mourning Dove
Weaver Finch
Chickadee
Cardinal
Crow
Blue Jay
Ruddy Turnstone
Sharp Shinned Hawk [email protected]
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Thank you!