Inside me, two birds
with silver wings beat frantic time
against the cage—
I expand and collapse,
expand, collapse,
but the bars don’t break
perhaps I can make
just enough space to fly out—
their wings are so, so tired.
Sky Practice
August 18, 2011 by Rosemerry
One Response
Leave a Reply
Sign up for my daily poem!
Archives
Meta
Tags
"breaking the magic" 13 ways 84 84 homeostasis 84s 84sIn 81435 gallery A abandon abecedarian abecedarius ability Able Muse Book Award Able Muse Press absence abundance a capella acapella a cappella acceleration accepance acceptance accepting accident accomodating accomplishments accountability ache acrostic actions action verb activism acupuncture adage adagio for strings adapatation adios drama adjectives adjust admiration advertising advice aesthetics affection after life aggression aging agreement Ah Haa School Ah Haa School for the Arts ah has school airplane airplane travel air poetry airport Akhilandeshvari Alabama alan cohen alan wartes albert flynn desilver Alice Herz-Sommers Alice in wonderland Alison Luterman alium aliveness Allan Glassman alleluia all i do is dream of you allowing allowing things to be all souls allurement alone aloneness alone time alphabet alphabet menagerie alter ego Alton Mill Arts Center Alya Howe amazement amazon amber America American Flag Amma amor fati Amy Schilling anapest anarchy anatomy ancestral puebloans andrea bird Andy Offutt Irwin angel anger animal anna akhmatova anorexia answer answers Anthony de Mello antibodies anticipation anxiety aphids Aphrodite apocalypse apologizing apology appalachia appearance appearances appearance vs. reality applause apple apple pie apples applesauce appreciation approach approaching the world apricot apricot blossom apricots April April Fools are we there yet arguing armageddon arrival arrow Arroyo Ars Nova Singers ars poetica Art Art Goodtimes artistic collaboration art retreat Aruba arugula aspen aspirations aster astrology astronaut athena atlas atoms attachment attention attitude attractors audience audio poem Audrey Hepburn augury august augusta kantra authenticity authority automatic nervous system autopsy autumn auxin availability avalanche avocado awakening awareness awe A Year of Being Here baby badger bad luck bad mood baggage balance bald eagle ballet band baptism barbie barrier Barry Spacks Basalt Library baseball basho basil basilisk lizard bat bathing suit battery beach bear Beatles beauty become one with everything becoming becoming light becoming one with the all that is bed Bedrock bedtime bee beer Beethoven beets beginning beginnings beheading be here now being being alive being available being found being led being present being right being seen being vs. doing being wrong belief bell Bell's Theorem bells belonging berries betrayal betty rocker bias bicycle big big conversation bike accident binary bindweed biologist biology bird birding birds birdsong bird song birth birthday birthday party Birthright birth story bitterness black blackberry jam blackberry picking blackbird black birds black friday black hole black lives matter black swift blame blank blank page blank verse blessing blessings bliss blizzard blood test bloom blossom blossoming blossoms blue Blue Angels bluebird bluebonnets blue heron boat body body image Bohemian Rhapsody bolete bomb cyclone bones bonfire boogie boarding book Book Bar book of the dead book recommendations Book Review books boredom Bosnia Boulder boundaries boundary bouquet bow bowing bowl bowling box boy boys bozo braided way brain bravery bread breakfast breaking breaking open break through breast exam breath breathing brian swimme bridge bridges brightness brilliance broccoli broken broken heart brokenness broom brother Brucie Holler bruegel bud buddha buddhism bug building bulimia bull bully buoyancy burial burning books burning bridges bus Buson busy busy-ness butterfly butterfly effect button buttons bystander cafe dawn caffeine cage cairns calculus calendar caliban calypso Calypso bulbosa camellia camel spider camp camping cancer candide candle candy canning canoe canyon canyoneering capture car career caregiving carnival carousel carpe diem carrot carrots cars cartography carwash cat cataclysm cat and mouse catching catclysm Catherine Ghosh Cathy Casper cauliflower cause and effect celebration cello cell phone cemetery Centration certainty chair chairlift chalice challenge chamisa champagne champion champion wrestling chance change chant chanterelles chanting chaos theory charades Chartreuse chase chemistry chemo cherries cherry chess Chhinnamasta chicago chickadee chicken little chief of police child childbirth childhood childhood dream childhood memory children children's poem children's poetry China Chinese Proverb chives chocolate choice choices choir chokecherry choosing Chopin chores chosen Christian Schubart Christie Aschwanden Christine Ford Christmas Christmas Eve christmas poem Christmas present chrysalis cicada cinderella cindrella cindy wahtola cinquefoil circe circle circle time circling circus Cisco Guevara citizen city clarity classification classified claws cleaning cleanliness Clea Willow cliche cliff clock closet clothes cloud clouds Clue code coffee coffee shop coffee table coffin cold colic collaboration collage college colliding colon color colorado author's league Colorado Independent Colorado National Monument comet comfort coming of age comma common woman communication communion community comparison compassion compass rose competition completion complexity compost compromise concrete poem confession confidence conflict confucius confusion connection connecton consequence consequences consolation conspiracy constant constellations construction consumerism contentment continuing contradiction contrail control conundrum conversation conversations with a mystic conviction cooking Corinne Platt cormorant corn lillies corn maze Corona Virus corvid cosmos costa rica cottonwood cottonwoods counting country music couplet couplets courage cowbell crack cracks craft crane cranes craving crawdad Creative Habits creative process Creative Writing Workshop creative writing workshop in Colorado creativity creche Crestone Poetry Festival cricket cross the line cross the road crow cruelty crying crystal ball cultivating cup tower curiosity cursing cursive curve cutting loose c word cycle cycles dad daily life daisies daisy dance dancing dandelion danger Daniel Ladinsky Danny Rosen dare daring darjeeling dark dark matter darkness Darwin datura daugher daughter daughter in law dave aschwanden David Feela David Lee dawn day daydream Daylight savings day of the dead dead dead end dead heading death debussy december decision decisions deconstruction deer defensiveness deja vu delight delilah denial Denisovan people Dennis McNeil Denver denver botanic garden depression desert desire despair desperation destiny destruction detachment detente determination devotion dgo magazine Dia de los Muertos diagnosis diana krall dictionary difference difficult subjects dignity dimentia dimeter dinner dinosaurs direction directions dirt disappearing disappointment disasters discomfort disconnection discouragement disillusion disorder displacement dissolution dissolution of the separate self dissolving dissonance distance distraction ditching class diversity division DNA doctor dog dogs doing doll Dolores Dolores LaChapelle dolphin donkey Donna Burd Fernald DOOGOOD doom door doors doorway doubt Dover Beach do your best dr. suess dragon dragonfly dream dreams dreams vs. reality dream workshop dress Drew Myron drink water driving dropping our stories drought druthers duality duck dust dust bunnies dusting dying dynamic systems e.e. cummings earth earthquake earwig easter easter lily eating disorder eclipse ecology Eden edge ee cummings efficiency ego einstein ekphrasis ekphrastic poetry ekprhasis elderly election electricity elephant Elizabeth Bishop Elizabeth I elk Ellen Bass ellipses embracing what is emergence emergency Emerging Form emily dickinson empowerment emptiness empty gas EMT end ending endings end of the world endtimes endurance enemies enlightenment entitlement entrapment entropy envy EO Wilson epiphany epistemology epistle equality equation erasure Erika Gordon erik satie eros erosion escape escape the self essence eternity eulogy euphemism eve Even Now everyday miracle everything everything is possible Evie Adelman evolution example excalibur exclamation point exercise exhale exhaustion expansion expectation expectations expectation vs. reality experience experiment exquisite corpse extinction eyes f failure fairies Fairy Slipper fairy tale faith fall falling falling apart falling in love falling in love with the world fall in love with the world familiar familiarity family family dynamics fanny farmer fantasy fate father Father's Day father-in-law fear february feedback fence fences fencing ferocity ferris wheel fibonacci sequence fiction field fight figure of speech film finality finders keepers find holiness in the everyday finding the self find the poetry in your life fine print fingerprint Finland fire fire and ice firecracker fireman firework first day of school first kiss first memory fish fishing fist fitness fitting in fixing flame flamingo flat tire flexibility flight flight 370 floating floor Florida Florida Keys flourishing flow flower flowers flute fly fly and scatter flying focus fog folding folklore following food food preservation fool forever forgetfulness forgetting forgiveness formalism fortune cookie fortunetelling found found poem fountain fourth of july fractal fragile fragility frame frames freedom freeze Frida Kahlo friendship frienship frisbee frog frost frugality fruit fruit flies fruit fly frustration full moon fullness fun fussiness fussy futility future f word Gallery 81435 game games garden gardener gardening garlic garment gathering geese Geibel generation generations generosity generosity of spirit genie gentleness geology George Winston Georgia O'Keefe Geppetto get lucky getting lost getting started ghost story gift gift horse gift poetry gifts gilgamesh gingerbread girls giving glacier lake glass half empty glass half full glove gloves gnossienne 2 goal goals goat heads god Godspell going back going home going inward going quantum gold Golden Slumbers golden spiral goldfinch goldfish goldilocks gong good bye goodbye good enough good fences make good neighbors goodness Good news good vs evil goof ball goofy gooseberry grace grammar grand canyon granddaughter grandmother grass gratefulness.org gratitude gravedigger gravity gray day great blue heron great blue whale greed greek gods green green beans greeting Gretel grief grocery store growing growing old growing up growth guesthouse guilt habit hafiz haibun haiku haiku sequence hail hair Halcyon Poetry Prize halloween Hamilton hamstring pull hand hands hand stand handstand handwriting Hans Christian Andersen hansel and gretel happily every after happiness happy ending hardship hard times harmony harvest hawaii hawk hay headache Headwaters Poetry Festival healing hearlng heart heartache Heartbeat heart rock heartsong heaven heaven on earth heidi's brooklyn deli held help helping helplessness Hemingway Herbie Hancock heritage Hermes hermit crab hero heron hesitance hide and seek hiding Hieronymous Bosch Hieronymus Bosch highway hiking hill hire a poetry teacher history Hoagy Carmichael Hocking Hill hokusai hold holding holding on holiday meal homage home homecoming homeostasis honesty honey bee honoring hope Hopi horoscope horse hospital hospitality hot springs housefly housekeeping housewife housework how are you how do we understand the world? how to hug hula hoop hum human human equality humanity human nature humanness humbling humility humming hummingbird humor humpty dumpty hunger hurt husband Hush hymn iambic pentameter i am the other you icarus ice ice age ice crystal ice floe ice scraper ice skating icicle I Cried for You icu ideal idealism ideas identification identity idolizing ignorance illness illusion imaginary friend imagination imbolc immensity immortality imperfect imperfection impermanence importance impossible impossible acts imprisonment improvisation inattention in between spaces indecent proposal indecision independence indifference individual poetry session ineptitude inevitability infinite infinity injury in love with life in love with the world inner beauty inner child inner journey inner knowing inner life inner resources inner strength inner struggle inner tube inner tubing inner turmoil inner wisdom Innisfree innocence innovation inquiry insect insecurity inside job insight insignificance insomnia inspiration inspriation instinct integrity intention intentions interconnectedness interdependence international women's day interrelatedness interview in the box intimacy intimidation Inuit invention inversion invertebrates invitaiton invitation irony isolation isostasy Issa italian sonnet Jack and Julie Ridl Jack Mueller Jack Ridl jackson pollock Jacob and the angel James and the Giant Peach James Nave James Tipton Jane Hilberry Jane Hirshfield January Japan japanese myth Jason Crandell java jazz Jazz Jaeschke jealousy jeff lowe jellyfish Jessy Randall jesus lizard jewelry jigsaw jill davey Jill Sabella jingle bells Joanna Macy john cougar mellencamp john klug Johnny Mercer Joi Sharp Joseph Cornell journey Journey of the Heart joy joy loss of self joy ride jude Janett judgment Judyth Hill Julie Cummings jump jumping in junco junior high juniper junk kaleidoscope karen chamberlain Karen Chamberlain Poetry Festival kauai Keats kennedy center key key signatures kids killing kilogram kindergarten kindess kindness kingfisher kismet kiss kisses kissing kitchen kite klimt knitting Knockout knot knots knowing knowing the self knowledge known koan koi no yokan Kolb Brothers KonMari Korean folktale koshti Kyra Kopestonksky labor labor day labyrinth lace ladder lady slipper lake lake michigan lala's land language language acquisition Language of the Fantastic la petit mort larkspur la sal last wish late spring latin laughing at the self laughter Laurie Wagner lawnmower Law of motion laws layers leader leaf Leanne Canty learning learning a language learning to sing leaves ledger legacy lemon lemon squeezer lens Les Miserables less is more lesson letter letter u letter V letter z let the cat out of the bag letting go Leukemia Lewis Carroll Lian Canty library lice lie Liederkreis life lifeboat life lesson life lessons light lilac lilies lily limitations Lincoln Memorial line lines lion Liquid Light Press listening list poem literacy literary burlesque literature little me little miss muffet live in the moment living lock locusts Logan Ohio logic loneliness longing long marriage long relationship looking inside look up Lorca Lord of the Flies Lorenz lose the self losing losing the self loss loss of self loss of separate self loss of the self loss of the separate self lost lost and found lost in motherland lost in translation lost tooth lotus love love languages love letter love poem love poems love the world love the world as it is Love You Forever loving loving the world luck lucky to be alive lullaby lunch lung lungs lupine lute lying Lynn Ungar Lyric Essentials mac and cheese mad maggots magic magic eight ball magic potion magnolia mahogany making decisions making peace mammoth man mandolin manger map marcus aurelius maria popova marigold marigolds marriage martin luther Martin Luther King Jr. mary oliver Masahide mask masonry math Matt Hayes mayan calendar May Swenson may you be happy meadow meadowlark mean girl meaning meaning of life medicine meditation meditation retreat meeting the moment meeting the self Meghan Tutolo melting memories memory men and women mentor mercy Meredith Nemerov Meredith Nemirov merry stoll Mesa County Public Library mess message message in a bottle metamorphosis metaphor meteor meter me too metta mice Michelangelo michigan Middle Creek Press midlife midnight midsummer Mike Adams miles davis milk milkweed milky way mind mindfulness Mindfulness Poems mindless mindlessness mine minor key mint minute minute form miracle mirror misbehavior miso soup misperception missed call missed deadline missing missing sock mistake mistakes misunderstanding moat mockingbird modigliani modligliani mole mom moment momento mori money monkey fist monopoly monostitch monsoon monster Montaigne montrose moon moonlight sonata moon river moose morel morel mushroom morels morning morning after the storm mortality mosquito bites moth mother mother's day mother's day poems motherhood mothering motivation mountain mountain lion mountains mountain sheep mouth move movement movie moving moving fast moving meditation moving through doubt mr. clean mud mudslide mulberry mullein mummy murder muscadine grapes muse museum mushroom mushroom hunting music musical musta sukainen mystery mystic poetry myth naked Naked for Tea nakedness name names naming nancy drew Nancy Owen Barton Naomi Shihab Nye narrator national wine day nature nature poems nearness need negative capability neglect neighbor nest nettle neural circuitry neurolinguistic programming neurons neutron star never new new beginning new day new lens new moon newness news Newton New Verse News new year new year's eve New Year's Resolution new years next step Nicaragua Nice night nightfall nightingale nightmare nina simone no Nobody Nocturne no ideas but in things noise nomenclature non-doing noticing non-dualism non-judgment non-violence nonattachment Non doing non locality nordic skiing normal Norwood nostalgia nothing nothingness noticing not knowing no trespassing sign not speaking not trying nourishment now numbers nurse nursery rhyme o'keefe objective obstacle obstacles ocean odds ode Odysseus offering office supplies ohio ohm old beginning olympics one heart one love oneness one track mind onion open opening open mind openness operation love ophir opportunity opposites opposites attract opposition optimism orbit orchard orchid order ordinary ordinary life orgasm origami originality orioles ornament Orvis Hot Springs other otolith our place in the universe out of control outside outsider ouzel overflowing overkill overwhelm owl owl and the pussycat ownership owning page page of wands pain painting pandora pansies pantoum paper clip paper wasp paperwhites paradox parent parenthesis parenting parents parking meter parody parsley parting partnership party past past meets the present path patience pattern Paul Fowler pause paying attention peace peach peach blossom peaches pears peas pelican pencil penny peony peotry perception perception vs. reality perfection perfectionism performance perfume persephone persistence persona personal growth personalizing personal poem personal responsibility personification perspective persuasion pests pet petals petrarchan sonnet petroglyph petroglyphs petunia Pewaukee Phillips Museum philomela philosophy phone photography photons Phyllis Cole-Dai phyllis k Phyllis Klein physical fitness physical therapy physics piano piano lesson picinic pie Pieta pig pigeon pose pinata pinecone Pinocchio pirates place plagues planaria planet planets plans plant plant cell planting plants play playshop pleasing pleasure pledge of allegiance plover plum pluperfect plurals poached eggs pocket pockets podcast poe poem poem a day practice poems poems for kids poet poet laureate poet laureates poetry poetry and meditation retreat poetry award poetry blog poetry book poetry class poetry classes poetry conference poetry discussion poetry festival poetry friends poetry interview Poetry of Presence poetry performance poetry reading poetry readings poetry retreat poetry review poetry sessions poetry video poetry workshop poets poets respond poison police politics pomegranate pond positive thinking positivity possession possessive possessiveness possibility potato potatoes potential power Power of Poetry power outage practice praise prayer preference pregnancy prehistoric journey preparation preparing the heart presence present present moment preservation preserve pretend pretense priorities prison problem problems process progress prohibition projection prolepsis prometheus proof prophesy prose poem protection protons psoas psychology puberty puddle puddles pull the rug out from under pumpkin pumpkin pie pumpkins pun punctuation pure potential purpose Push Pull Books pussy willow puzzle quality quantum quarantine quatrain Queen queen's crown question questions quiet quiet nights quietude quince rabbit rabbit brush Rabia race Rachel Kellum radiance radish rain rainbow rainforest Ralph Waldo Emerson rapunzel rash raspberries raspberry rats Rattle rattlings ravel reaching reader readiness reading reading poems ready ready for love real reality reality tv reality vs. dreams reasons to shine rebirth receiving receptivity recipe recklessness reconciliation recovery recreation recurring dream rededication red peppers red riding hood red wing blackbird referee reflection reframe refresh refuge Regret rejection relationship relationships relax relaxation relaxing relearning release relief religion reluctance remarkable in the everyday remedy remembering Rene Magritte renewal rescue resilience resistance reslilience resolution response responsibility rest restraint retreat returning revelation revenge reverence Revision rhubarb rhyme rhythm Rick Bass riddle ridgway Right righteousness right vs. wrong Rilke ring ripeness ripening risk risking everything ritual river river otter river rocks rivers road road rage road trip rocks romance Roman general Romeo and Juliet rondeau room rope rose rosehip rose hips Rosemerry Trommer Rosemerry Wahtola Tromer Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer roses Rostropovich routine Ruby McHarg Ruby R. Wilson rug Rumi rumplestiltskin running rush Russia rye sacred sacred path sacred space sacrifice sadness safety saffron sage saint francis and the sow sake salida sally salt salt doll samson sand sankalpa Santa sarah hutchinson sarcasm satire satisfaction satsang sauvignon blanc save saving the world saying no saying yes saying yes to the world saying yes to the world as it is saying yes to what is Scandinavia scarcity scarecrow scars scatology scent scheduling school school shootings Schumann science sea sea lion seamlessness search searching sea sickness seasons seclusion second chance secret secret agent challenge secret agents of change security seduction seed seeds seeing seeing the world anew seeking self self-defeating behavior self-destruction self-destructive behavior self-doubt self-perception self-portait self-portrait self-protection self-sabotage self acceptance self actualization self awareness self care self control self deception self defense self delusion self discovery self forgiveness self help self image self inquiry self knowledge selflessness self love self pity self realization self reproach self talk self worth self wrestling semi colon sense of self sensuousness separateness separate self separation September 11 service sex talk sexual assault Shabbat shadow shakespeare shame shampoo sharing sharing poetry shark shavasana shedding sheep Shelley Widhalm shepherd Sherry Richert Belul shift shine ship shoe repair shoes shooting stars shopping shortcut short poem short poems shoulds shovel shoveling showing up show up shy shyft Siberia sibling sickness Sideshow Emporium sierra leone sign signing silence silly simplicity sincerity singing sirens sisiter sister sisterhood sisters and brothers Sisyphus sitting sitting still skate skiing ski skiing skin skinny dipping ski racing skull sky skylark slam sledding sleep slipping slow slow food slow motion small steps smile smoke snake snakeweed snapdragon sneezy snorkeling snow snow angel snow angels snowflake snowmen Snow White social distancing Socrates softening softness soil solace solar system solitude solstice solution someday son sonder song songbird song stuck in your head sonnet sorrow soul sound source sowing space spaces spam Spanish spatula speaking speaking out spectrum speech spell spelling lesson spider spider mite Spiegel im Spiegel spilled milk spilling spinach spiral spirit spiritual growth spirituality spiritual path splinter spoken word spontaneity spoof sports spring spring snow spruce St. Peter star starlight stars starting over star wars staying stealing step mother Steven Nightingale stewart warren stick still life stillness stomach stone stop sign stories storm story Story Circle story problem storytelling stranger strangers strawberries strawberry strength struggle Strunk and White stubborness stubbornness stuck student stuff success suffering sufficiency sufficient sufi sugar suicide suite bergamasque sumatra summer summer camp sun Sundress sunflower sunflowers sunflower seeds sunlight sunrise sunset sunshine superhero superman support suppression surface tension surgery surprise surprise party surprises surrender survival Susan Smilanic Susie Harrington sustainability swallow swan song sweet clover sweetness swim lessons swimming swing Syllabic Meter syllabics synapse synergy syrah Szymborska table Tai Chi tail taken for granted tall poppies tall tale Taming of the Shrew tanager tanka tanka sequence Taos Storytelling Festival tarpon tasseography tattered cover taxes taxi tea teacher teaching tea cup tear tears teddy bear teddy macker TEDx TEDx Paonia teenage teenager Telluride Telluride Arts Telluride Art Walk Telluride gondola Telluride Inside and Out Telluride Poetry Club Telluride TV Telluride writing workshop temple temptation tenacity tenderness tennessee tense tension tent terza rima sonnet test tethered by letters tetrameter thanksgiving theater the body the call The Colorado Sun The Conjurer the dark the dictionary of obscure sorrows the emperor's new clothes theft The Gateless Gate the harvesters the journey The Kiss The Less I Hold The Little Match Girl The Miracle Already Happening the moment the muck The Nutcracker the path the present the princess bride the process The Purity of Desire therapy the raven thermodynamics The Secret Garden the tempest the treachery of images The Voices Project the way The Wayfarer Thich Nhat Hanh thigomorphogenesis things thinking think radio thirst thistle Thomas Lynch thorn thorns thought thoughts thread three lines three word lines thumb thunder tickle tiger tightrope time time 84 time heals all wounds timelessness time passing time signature time warp timing Tim Lafferty timshel Tips for Jesus tired titanic toast toaster to do list toe togetherness tolerance tomato tomato soup Tom Barrett tong-len tool tools touch tower toys traffic trail train transcience transformation transience transition translation transmutation transparency trap trapeze travel traveler treasure tree trees trial by fire trickster Tricycle Magazine triolet trope trouble true self trust truth trying tulip tune turbulence turtle two become one Ulli Sir Jesse unattachment uncertainty unconditional love under appreciated underside understanding undoing unfolding unicycle union uniqueness United States of America unity universe unknowing unknown unlearning unloveable Uno unpopular unraveling unrhymed sonnet unripe unseen forces unselving unsustainability usefulness utah vacation valentine's day Valerie Haugen value Van Gogh vanity variable vastness vegetable veil veils verbs verb tenses very silly video video poem vietnam memorial villanelle viola violence violet violin virgin islands virtual poetry workshop vision vlog voice voices vole volleyball Vote 2016 Voyager 2 vulnerability W-week waiting waking up walk walking wall wallace stevens wallking walls Walt Whitman waltz wanting wanting what is wardrobe warmth warrior Washington DC water waterfall water lily wave wax wayne muller weather wedding anniversary weed weeds weehawken Weehawken Arts weightlifting Wendy Videlock Western Colorado Writers Forum Western Slope Poet Laureate Western Slope Poetry Wewer Keohane whale what are we doing here? what are we really what cannot be held what confines us what does it mean to be alive what does life want? what doesn't change what if what I learned what is what is a poet what is eternal what is living this life what is real what lingers whistling who am I who am i really whole wholeness why why we write why write poems wikipedia wilderness wildfire wildflower wildflowers wild iris wildness Wild Rose wild roses Wilkinson Public Library willfulness William Carlos Williams william stafford willingness willow willows wind window wine wings winter winter solstice Wisconsin woods wisdom wish wishing with withdrawal wits end wizard of oz wolf woman women women's poetry women's spiritual poetry womenr wonder wool wordless words work workshop world worm worry wound wrestling Wrinkle in Time writer's block writing writing retreat writing workshop Writing Workshops wrong turn wushdan wu wei x xerxes I Yeats yellow Yellowstone yes yield yielding yinnuwok legend yodel yoga you are my sunshine younger self youth zen zero Zikr zoo zucchini
The title on this one is the gem for me, especially as it enlightens the poem. I think the metaphor of a cage inside is not so fresh, but you do a couple things to freshen it. For instance, the expand and collapse stanza has energy beyond the metaphor, a sense of movement. And it echoes so well that phrase, “frantic time.”
I want to get the “I” out of the poem to see how it flutters. I can do that quite easily in the first two stanzas, but not sure how to negotiate the third:
Inside, two birds
with silver wings beat frantic time
against the cage—
expand and collapse,
expand, collapse,
but the bars don’t break
but bend perhaps
with just enough space to fly out—
their wings are so, so tired.
Without the “I” the poem speaks more directly to the experience, freshens that metaphor, because the reader has to orient as to where these birds are coming from. I don’t know. Just as idea.