I saw a red bird on the ground
walked so close
but he did not fly away
just looked at me
& bobbed his head
odd I thought
& kept my pace
the red bird stared me down
looking back
he looked back at me
unmoved
resolute
odd I thought
he did not fly away
nearly under my shoe
stayed
unmoved
resolute
& walking still
I wondered should I stay
I stopped far from him
odd I thought
as he looked at me
& flew away

02/19/2004

Author's Note: this actually happened, and when it did, I could not get over how much it represented to me. as I walked I repeated the lines I had over and over so I wouldn't forget them, and they came back to me today. and maybe this poem comes off as very simple, but for me a lot of complex things are involved. the red bird staring me down, my nearly stepping on him, how unchanged he was... until he flew away. it's almost like I want to try to stop him from flying away, and my hope is that writing this might help convince him to stay. Koye said I never write poems about him when things are good with us... so this is most definitely for him. if you fly away, fly south, ok?

Posted on 02/20/2004
Copyright © 2025 Emily G Myers