Hearts polished like porcelain
Shined so peers perceive no flaw
Then placed upon the shelf
Perfectly perched and priced
And in struts the buyer
Fresh from running with the humans
A mass of muscle, tail swaying slightly
Hooves as shiny as the horns
Brandishing upon its neck
A great ruby scarf
Won in a fierce and frantic fight

Life goes off like a cherry bomb
Blows itself up to kingdom come
Lends itself to display
Some of the things you can not change

Shows you all that it can do
In the old with a touch of new
And for whom the bell tolls
Parts of life you can't control

Life will open itself up
With bangs and bruises nicks and cuts
It's not always what you make
But in the learning from mistakes

If there's anyway or anyhow
Find a corner on which to turn around
But watch the gutter in its flow
Parts of life you can't control

Life at times will draw the line
In fluorescent bright or black and white
You can read into it, year model make
Have your say at the turn of the page

Live it out as if in a dream
What you find to try and keep
Until you hit that bump in the road
Parts of life you can't control

Ink. to page,
Splatter,
Scattered,
Matter.

Missing ink?
In this pen.
You stare
Around the room.
Who to ask,
Who to reach
Out to?
Intrusively
Overcome,
Invisibly,
These manifestations
Fester,
Constantly.

Ink running
Down an edge,
Staining
The floor.

no dot for the “i.”

no words for the page.

they refuse to form today.

turning a corner
my headlights catch
a great horned owl
sailing through the darkness
wings outstretched
gliding on a cold north wind
a phantom conjured
by unyielding hunger
set aloft and still verging
from shadow to shadow
hours later
in the warmth of my room


Tom Spencer © 2018

It’s something that try we should
To provide the parrot its basic food
Apple minus seeds mango banana
Grape orange guava papaya
As for vegetables cooked dried bean
With beet broccoli its heart you can win
Cucumber carrot and cauliflower
They surely love like they love a shower
Corn on the cob is fun for parrot
They aren’t fussy as them you thought
Hot peppers peapod lettuce
For them delicacies you can choose
Sweet and baked potato well cooked yam
They devour in delight add to their glam
Parrots are cute friendly and nice
Give them oatmeal millet brown rice
They’re not greedy from you they won’t beg
Though these birds love scrambled boiled egg
The parrot is innocent gorgeous and sweet
Can’t call them carnivore yes they like meat
Must talk to them and not keep your mouth shut
Your loving pet the parrot loves occasional nut.

Now words of caution what don’t do them good
Candy and chocolate and all junk food
I know you are smart and not at all mean
To offer this wonder bird mushrooms caffeine
Believe my words they aren’t my opinion
Use them in your food don’t give them onion
Dairy products for them are a big ‘no’ ‘no’
You surely want them to healthily glow
Give the parrot shower keep its cage clean
Give them just fresh foods no sugar no caffeine
Say ‘no’ to pesticides choose only organic
See in their bowel nothing goes toxic
Follow what I’ve said the task is not hard
Spend your time well with this beautiful bird.