The Brightest Bird

But Very Quiet

To Timotea

The brightest bird of all is seen aloft
upon a hanging swing beside the door,
where its dull glass admits the sunlight’s soft
spring gleam upon her wings. High off the floor
she sits and contemplates her corner or
her pink and yellow feathers. No rough fowl
is she, from youth she never cursed or swore
or flailed or guffawed–consonant or vowel
unspoken–prim, demure her ways; no owl
in nightly hunting quieter than she.
Her face is ever friendly, never scowl
or scolding from this gentle bird. We see,
we smile at Timotea (such her name).
Unto her painted clay may this bring fame.

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This sonnet was written in honor of the ceramic cockatoo that my sister has hung just inside our back door. Her name is indeed Timotea, and her coloring is quite unusual, being mostly yellow with a crest and wings of pink and a jet-black beak! Her friendly presence is much appreciated.

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A heap of fresh hay.
The rabbit is brushed aside.
“Whoosh,” whispers the horse.

Johnny, my horse, has developed a very trusting relationship with one of the wild desert cottontail rabbits. Just how trusting, I didn’t realize until a couple of days ago.

Then I watched him gently nose the rabbit away from his new pile of hay. As far as I could gauge, he was actually touching the rabbit, who was unwilling to move further from the new alfalfa. And Johnny was being eminently careful.

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