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SULTRY
Daisies shrivel
wind chimes
still
under gunmetal skies
thunder booms
hard rain
Steam
a sodden sparrow flutters
her wet wings
then soars.
WOODPECKER VICTORIOUS
Sometimes she wishes she could throw her mind into
the washer, add strong detergent, and bleach away life's
stains. If just one morning she could wake up without
worrying about starving children, war, her daughter's
health on the other side of the continent.
She'd like to be one of those women whose minds
are filled with tranquil gardens, lilac-scented breezes,
all light bulbs lit, every appliance humming.
Early one April morning she opens her eyes to
furious birds -- blue jay and woodpecker - attacking
each other, a territorial war in the oak outside her
window. Woodpecker victorious without her involvement,
she walks barefoot to the kitchen, humming. Nothing's changed --
or maybe something has.
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