Reanimated Lavender Granola Switchblade Nun rides again.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Tutorial, Part Two

When the Dark Bird comes,
Don't feed it.

It will land in the branches of your ribs,
Behind the breastbone;
Like the cuckoo, it pushes out whatever was there,
And by murder, makes its home.

When the Dark Bird comes,
Don't feed it.

It fetches last year's doubts, rag-ends of fear;
Builds its nest out of restless lack.
No yellows, no reds, forget them dear,
Its pleasure is poison, its joy is black.

When the Dark Bird comes,
Don't feed it;
But even if you do,
It will scorn your offered trifles--
What the Dark Bird consumes...is you.
_________

19 comments:

  1. I think you're talking about the dark bird of temptation.

    I am aware of the dark birds.

    Secretia

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  2. Let the damn bird starve!! lol

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  3. Fine poetry and good advice.

    Maybe too late, but it is good advice.

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  4. Wow, Shay I think you've topped yourself with this one, I am ever more and more amazed by your use of words to convey the dark or the unsettled pieces of the soul. This is some truly sage advice....

    love you
    and just know that the bluebird of happiness is just around the corner.

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  5. SO excellent!

    And excellent advice to the wise...




    Aloha from Hawaii my Friend!


    Comfort Spiral

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  6. What a poem, Shay! The dark bird is definitely one to be avoided, but sometimes impossible to.

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  7. Oooooh! "Bye, Bye, Dark Bird"...and "Hello, Shay-Bird!" May we feed Shay-Bird?

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  8. Starting with the lungs so you can no draw breath to scream the frustrations.

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  9. your poem reads beautifully,
    glad to be here!

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  10. actually, i don't mind the dark bird. good things normally follow...

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  11. Wow! I'm speechless, which I believe is the intention of really good poetry.

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  12. WOW this one is potent:~)

    I love the cadence in this poem and reading it aloud is almost fun...I feel like E.A.Poe:~)

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  13. I like this. It's an interesting example, too, of what we bring to somebody else's work. Whether we should dare to feed the bird depends on what the bird represents to us.

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  14. pesky little thing.... hope it starves! -- then again, it would help if I stopped feeding it! ;)

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  15. Okay it's official. You now have a new follower. Can't believe what I've been missing.

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  16. Yet sometimes there's pleasure in being consumed by the dark bird...

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Spirit, what do you wish to tell us?