Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Richard Vargas: "why i feed the birds"

















once
i saw my grandmother hold out
her hand cupping a small offering
of seed to one of the wild sparrows
that frequented the bird bath she
filled with fresh water every day

she stood still
maybe stopped breathing
while the sparrow looked
at her, then the seed
then back as if he was
judging her character

he jumped into her hand
began to eat
she smiled

a woman holding
a small god



"why i feed the birds" by Richard Vargas, from Guernica, Revisited: Poems. © Press 53, 2014.

Photography credit: Untitled image by Jill Freedman (originally black and white).

 

3 comments :

  1. thanks for the beautiful presentation of my poem. it was featured on Writer's Almanac on 4/1/2014. a link to purchase the book, Guernica revisited, is on my website. www.richardvargaspoet.com. gracias.

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