Tricia Knoll is a Vermont poet, rehomed from Portland, Oregon. Her poetry appears widely in journals and anthologies. She is happy to announce the publication of her new chapbook, Checkered Mates from Kelsay Books. Website: Triciaknoll.com
Bird at the Window
A daughter brought the bird to Sunday dinner
in a white Chinese take out
carton. It flew into my window.
She couldn’t leave it wounded
in the walk, unfolded
the lid on our glass patio table.
The yellow-green warbler
grabbed shallow breaths, lying on its side.
Did the bird see another universe in my window
Or a mirror of this one?
We paused over chardonnay,
reflections of souls
vanished from the world glass.
We moved on to politics, work stress,
and barbecued chicken.
The bird, one stick leg in the air,
the other plastered to the box,
died in its waxy cardboard coffin.
Later, bats and stars dotted
the whole-hearted summer sky.
She folded up the carton
to bury the misguided in her garden.
We cleared the dishes
and watched from our kitchen window;
her tail lights headed home.
The Field Guide Poetry Magazine 