tern, how do i burn half my body
just to return home without crumbling

robin, how do i whistle these lacework trills
above the steel demands of garbage trucks

pigeon, how do i shine like gaspuddle rainbows
without bathing in the street gutters

eagle, how do i fasten my scowl so tightly
that it is not weakened by wind or death

crane, how do i dance on wheatstalk legs
and not bend but to bow graciously

hummingbird, what is the velocity of hunger
i must reach to not be swallowed by the world?