Redred redredred red redredred redredr redredredred red.
Red redredredred redred.
Red redredred redredredredred red.
Redredredred redredr redred red redredredredred redredredred redred red redredred redredred redredred red redredredredred redredredredred
Redredredred red redred red redredred redredr redredr red redredred red redredredredred redredred redred.
Red redredredred.
Redred redredred redredred;
Redredred red.
Redredredredred redredredred redred redredredred redredredredred red redredredredred red
Redredred redredred redredred red redred red.
Red redredred.
Red redredredredred redredredredred redredred.
Red redredredred redredredred redredred red redredr redredredred redred red.
Redredr redredredred redredredredred.
Redredredred redredredred.
Redredred redredredredred redredredredred redredredred redredred;
Red red redredr redredred redred red redredr redredredredred.
Redred red red redred redred red red redredred.
Red redred;
Red redredredred redredredredred redredred redred.
Redredredredred redredred
Redredredred redredredred redredred;
Redredredredred redredred.
Red redredred redredred;
Redredr redredredredred red red redredred redred red;
Redredredredred red red redred redredr redredredred.
Redredredredred redredredredred red red redred redredred redredred red redredredred redred redredred red;
Redredredredred redredredredred redredredred redredred.
Red redredred red.
Redredredredred red redredred redredred redred redredredred redred redredredredred redredredred red redred redredr redred red redred redredred redredr redredred red redredred redredredredred redredred redredredred.
Red red redredredredred redredredredred redredredred red red red redredredredred red redredred redredred red.
Red redred red redredr redredredred redredredred redredred redredr red redredr red red red red redred redredred redredredredred red redredred redred redred redred redredr redredredredred redredredred redredred red redredred redredredredred.
Redred redredredred redredred redred redredredred;
Redredredred redredredred*

Redred redredred red redredred redredr redredredred red.
Red redredredred redred.
Red redredred redredredredred red.
Redredredred redredr redred red redredredredred redredredred redred red redredred redredred redredred red redredredredred redredredredred
Redredredred red redred red redredred redredr redredr red redredred red redredredredred redredred redred.
Red redredredred.
Redred redredred redredred;
Redredred red.
Redredredredred redredredred redred redredredred redredredredred red redredredredred red
Redredred redredred redredred red redred red.
Red redredred.
Red redredredredred redredredredred redredred.
Red redredredred redredredred redredred red redredr redredredred redred red.
Redredr redredredred redredredredred.
Redredredred redredredred.
Redredred redredredredred redredredredred redredredred redredred;
Red red redredr redredred redred red redredr redredredredred.
Redred red red redred redred red red redredred.
Red redred;
Red redredredred redredredredred redredred redred.
Redredredredred redredred
Redredredred redredredred redredred;
Redredredredred redredred.
Red redredred redredred;
Redredr redredredredred red red redredred redred red;
Redredredredred red red redred redredr redredredred.
Redredredredred redredredredred red red redred redredred redredred red redredredred redred redredred red;
Redredredredred redredredredred redredredred redredred.
Red redredred red.
Redredredredred red redredred redredred redred redredredred redred redredredredred redredredred red redred redredr redred red redred redredred redredr redredred red redredred redredredredred redredred redredredred.
Red red redredredredred redredredredred redredredred red red red redredredredred red redredred redredred red.
Red redred red redredr redredredred redredredred redredred redredr red redredr red red red red redred redredred redredredredred red redredred redred redred redred redredr redredredredred redredredred redredred red redredred redredredredred.
Redred redredredred redredred redred redredredred;
Redredredred redredredred

I imagine that if she could,
the scissor-tailed fly-catcher would
cut, small and thin, but stinging so sharp,
so deep it would nick your soul.

I imagine that the vulture would sneer at his peers in
the throws of death as they gasp for breath,
fighting for their lives, and he would laugh.
Silly bird, he would think, you can’t
escape death.

And he would swoop down upon them so
they could see that he was coming,
the avian grim reaper watching their fear.
And after they died he would peck at their souls,
their dreams, their goals.

I imagine that the canary so small, bright, and pure flits her
way through life on the trade-wind’s whim.
She would not know of weaponized
words or the cold regard for another’s life.

And I imagine that if I were a bird, I would
be a robin, redredred with rage barley contained,
but silent still till I let it bubble and build
and I, I would know why the caged bird sings.