Hummingbird Incident (revised class submission)

A hummingbird accidentally

entangled itself in her

niece's hair, so she did 

what any aunt would do,

she reached over and began

to untangle them;

as you can imagine, there

was a shared anxiety 

between all three

as her hands began 

to separate hair

and hummingbird,

it was an unusual sight,

her hands trembled, 

seeking to harm neither

bird nor niece-

the young girl stayed 

as still as she could,

soon, her aunt held 

the hummingbird,

its wings still, neither flitting 

nor flying, merely sitting,

waiting for the right moment

to take flight once more.

Hummingbird Incident

A hummingbird accidentally
entangled itself into her
niece's hair, so she did
what any good aunt would do,
she reached over to niece
and hummingbird to untangle
them from one another;
as you can imagine, there
was a moment of anxiety
shared between all three,
as the aunt's hand began
to untangle the hair
and hummingbird from one
another, and yes it was a bit
of an unusual sight, though
one filled with a set of hands
delicately seeking to harm
neither hummingbird nor
niece- the young girl stayed
as still as she could, and soon
the hands of her aunt held
a hummingbird, its wings
were still, neither flitting
nor flying, merely sitting,
waiting for the right moment
to take flight once more.

Self-Portrait as Hawthorne

                         This heaven gives me migraine.

                                                - Gang of Four

           

            Faint sounds of bygone summers linger

            Through suburban avenues. Hotrods cruised

            On Friday nights full of kids looking for

            Something to do. Football games, dances &

            Hamburger stands would often suffice.

            Brian found his voice here. Marilyn was

            Another star struck girl in the shadow of

            City lights. They called her Norma then.

            Memory becomes a misty mizzle evaporating

            Under the warmth of the sun.

            At 3701 W. 119^th Street a young boy choked

            Back tears as he stared into the scarred

            Socket where his father’s eye had been.

            He could never let his sons forget

            The sacrifice he made.