From the Front and Back

Pecking at the overturned shards
grounds every winged singer
singing of the season
before the ground turned over
“Don’t give up,” forces motherbird
“play and sing
and your songs will melt the ice”

Perched on frozen diamonds
of a melting chandelier
“humming can not hurt you
if it’s a happy tune
because falling forces you to fly,”
slips motherbird

“Return to the glaciers
tiptoe over
overturned crystal
sand the tip with your voice
so to not tip off the glass
if you’re sharp,” winks motherbird

“Play your game on the ice
because you don’t deal the cards
you must not press down so hard
to stay grounded
and when you do glide
wings are like washing new dishes

When you twirl
remember,
you are dancing on diamonds
that are no longer sharp
because you learned
the force of the ground

COURTESY OF THE YU POETRY CLUB