Bird Meme at Dawn
Cathryn Shea Bird Meme at Dawn If an egg hatches, we wring its neck; if it doesn't, we crack it on a cast iron skillet. That's a no-win situation. I would never write a love letter in red ink. And I do not judge tattoos on other people but I am afraid of them on my own skin, afraid of what they might become with time and wrinkles. My lover's name on a limb could be distorted into a profane word, or worse, an ex's nickname. I'm rapt watching the towhees peck at seed, the brazen jay steal cracked corn. I fret over the absence of a quail pair, the covey diminished now to one couple. Then that couple disappears. I hope they are brooding. A whole slew of chicks will emerge in my yard scattering and scooting, frantic with famished intent. |
About the author:
Cathryn Shea’s poetry is forthcoming or has appeared in Absinthe Poetry Review, Allegro, Dirty Chai, Gargoyle, Main Street Rag, Permafrost, Poet Lore, Quiddity, Sonic Boom, and elsewhere. Her chapbook, Snap Bean, is by CC.Marimbo (2014, Berkeley). Cathryn is in the 2012 anthology “Open to Interpretation: Intimate Landscape.” Cathryn served as editor for Marin Poetry Center Anthology and has authored dozens of computer software manuals while employed by various corporations. She lives in Fairfax, CA with her husband. |