Somehow we gathered
\nlike birds on a wire line.
\nA retreat for Saint Patrick.
\nSomething to do over Lent.
\nIn the loneliness of our perch,
\nto see topaz coming up,
\nand fire going down.
\nNone of us knew where we were.
\nHigh in the rarified stratosphere.
\nCold with our prayers.
\nHow did we end up here?<\/p>\n
Where, mother, did you leave us
\nin the store?
\nWhy, father, did you go away?
\nBrother, sister,
\nwhere is your shouting?
\nThere is too much stillness.
\nWe do not have a song to share,
\none note to hum.
\nChild, I have not forgotten you.
\nYou grew up,
\nwent away,
\ndied in my sleep.
\nI love you forever.
\nForever!<\/p>\n
Some of us move closer,
\nforcing everyone to move.
\nThere is a man down there
\nlooking at us.
\nA whole highway of people.
\nThe man feels our aloneness.
\nAre we cold?
\nDo we have enough to eat?
\nHow long will we live?<\/p>\n
Will we show up in his garden?
\nI can\u2019t tell him.
\nThe others look off in clouds.
\nLater we will go our separate ways.
\nSome of us will find food.
\nA few of us will never return.
\nOnly the man saw us.
\nI do not see him now.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Somehow we gathered like birds on a wire line. A retreat for Saint Patrick. Something to do over Lent. In the loneliness of our perch,…<\/p>\n