Bird
such a tight fist of letters
needing just a wisp of breath
to be heard
and when you see one,
at first
a brief wash of color,
music and motion
and then
in full focus
a wren
doing a fitful dance
on a porch railing
and singing
throat tilted up,
beak wide
you welcome
the thrust of energy
and the flow of liquid tones
yet also ponder
how ill-prepared
eyes, ears, mind and heart are
for the task
of taking it all in
but the bird
draws you back
and asks
that you unclench your mind
and relish,
while you can,
this puff of air,
this sketch
so deftly etched
and then,
just as swiftly,
swept away
Charlie McCurdy has been writing poetry for about 40 years. After graduating from Oberlin College with a double degree in English and Music, he taught high school English for about 10 years, practiced journalism for about 15 years as a music critic, reporter and editor for newspapers and magazines including the Philadelphia Inquirer and Chamber Music magazine, and worked in corporate communications for Merck & Co., Inc., Bristol Myers Squibb, Daiichi Sankyo, Inc., and Labcorp. He has lived in and near Philadelphia for 37 years with his wife, two daughters, one granddaughter and two dogs.