Two sparrows sat in a willow tree
Squabbling over scraps of food
Eye to eye and beak to beak until
A steely breeze came from afar
And carried one away.
Eye to eye and beak to beak until
A steely breeze came from afar
And carried one away.
Late one summer the bird returned
With tales of distant lands
Of trees and flowers not seen before
By eye of bird or man.
And reader, Hark! when all is quiet
The two sparrows may still be heard
In the whispering of the wind at night.
Though no-one knows where they are now
We wish them both eternal flight.
—okei (2001)
Photo: “Two Sparrows & A Young Goldfinch” by Johannes Bronkhorst
Some beauty is eternal...even in its briefness...like your poem, Okei. I love sparrows, by the way.
ReplyDeleteDid the bird come back as a ghost? "Of trees and flowers not seen before, By eye of bird or man..." Did he get a glimpse of Paradise and returned to describe it?
ReplyDeleteYou're right, I loved the poem. The bird's return reminded me a little of the phoenix from the ashes. Thanks for sharing. I don't have a poem from 2001!
I hadn't thought of it like that! More of a world so remote that none have been there, actually a kind-of Wizard of Oz type experience now that I think of it! Amazing, because I hadn't seen the connection till now...
ReplyDeleteIt's just the different ways we interpret things. It's a great poem, Okei. It's always good when people can attach their own sentiments to what they read, from the different vantage points they were looking from.
ReplyDeleteWow. I like it.
ReplyDelete