I

Louie sings alone now that Emerald is gone.

II
Louie is a parakeet.

III
Birds who can’t fly
had their freedom cut off
when their wings were clipped

IV
I think Louie would fly away
if he could
but he lives in a cage

V
He’s not the only one
who wonders about getting away
It’s strange to think about
leaving home
when it’s the only place
you feel like you can belong

VI
I stand looking out the window
my fingers fiddling with the curtain cords
the only thing I can
think about is plucking guitar strings
not feathers

VII
feathers remind me
of when our chickens were
eaten by a family of foxes
Piles of feathers
made it look like someone
had a pillow fight in the yard
if only it had been something so harmless

VIII
I put sunflower seeds in the bird feeder
for the chickadees, nuthatches and doves
even though I know
that a much bigger animal
maybe one that’s tired of acorns
will eat most of the food anyway

VIIII
I’m sorry to the people driving behind me
that I brake for those same squirrels

X
I’m really not sorry that I brake for squirrels.


XI
Birds of a feather,
flock together.
When I whistle
Louie repeats the same sound.
Maybe we’re not so different after all.