Weak Strong

When the common flicker stitches
my chimney on a run of licks
every morning waking me whap whap whap
like a drummer so deep into the gig
he can't ever stop then stops and cool
aims his whammer straight up
listening a moment almost frozen
before turning his head this way and that
appearing nonchalant and then without
notice out flies a vocal
of just one note sounding more
human than birdlike over and over
plaintive pleading like you-you-you
I know it's only that feathered-up feeling
some of us will walk the floor
and bang our heads on anything
when it happens because
weak strong gripping a wormy tree
or a tin pipe it winds us round & round
and will not keep still until
we can bring the flicker of uncommon beauty
whose ear feathers are so fine she can hear
a heart being broadcast exactly like this
closer.

                                                  for Paula

Copyright © 2007 Gary Gildner All rights reserved
from Cleaning a Rainbow
BkMk Press
Reprinted by Verse Daily® with permission