i was sitting in the living room
with my cat, mindlessly watching tv

when a bird crashed into my window
at first i didn’t know what the sound was
until i walked over and saw a small bird
bleeding from its beak, struggling to breathe

i panicked, and started to cry
i didn’t want it to die
but i didn’t know if i could save it

in a minute, i searched online
through a few pages what to do
if it was possible
how to hold it
where to put it

i kept crying

i grabbed a few cloths from a drawer
a large stove ***

i went outside
the bird opening and closing his beak
struggling to breathe
or trying to call for help
without any sound

i grabbed him from his sides
and put him into the large ***
full of cloth
i made sure he was still upright
still responsive

i kept crying
but i told him he’d be alright

other birds in the trees cried out

i went inside
to grab another cloth
but when i returned he had rolled around
onto his back
and died

i pet the soft fur on his breast
felt it go cold

i started sobbing uncontrollably

my brother came home
found me kneeled overe, in tears
he yelled “it’s just a bird! throw it away!”
“what an idiot.”

i couldn’t stop crying

my mother came home
said “oh poor thing” to me
and to the bird

with an ice cream scoop
i dug at the dirt in the yard
wide enough, deep enough
for my little bird

i buried it amongst colorful leaves
encircled it with pebbles
and said a prayer

then i went upstairs
and cried myself to sleep