11.3 (Spring 2007)   The 2River View  

J. R. Solonche

 

A Bird, Very Plain, and Black

A bird, very plain and black,
but not as black as a crow,

nor as lustrous, as though
his sheen has been rubbed off,

for the third time I have seen
this week singing on the same

spot on the wire. Hey, brother,
haven't found a mate yet?

He keeps singing the same song
he sang last time and the time before.

Just as strong. Just as clear.
Shinier now than the first time.

 

All Night Last Night the Wind

All night last night the wind
was neither too gentle nor too strong.
The wind was just right.

It was just right to make the branches
of the big ash tree outside my window
strike each other in just the right way

to keep me up all night.
It was wooden water dripping from
a leaky wooden faucet into a wooden sink.

 

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