I FORGOT SOME THINGS
Having lunch outside
on a lovely May day
reminded me how
utterly pleasant some
experiences can be.
Warmed in the sun
I watch a robust tuft
of grass dance a rhythmic
belly-dance in the breeze.
I listen to a mother bird
hovering over her babies
in a nearby nest singing:
chew-chew my darlings.
Suddenly a bright red
Cardinal lands at my feet.
It must be a transformation
of my recently buried wife.
She struts back and forth
waiting for me to respond.
I clap my hands and sing,
hello, hello, it must be you.
I sing, I dream of you every night
waiting for the sleep when I don’t
wake up. She flaps her wings in
enthusiastic applause and flies away.