The Tree, The Wind, The Birds - fran claggett-holland

[Larry Robinson]

The Tree, The Wind, The Birds

bending almost horizontal
in the wind
the bird and berry tree
shook free of leaves
and held on

The quiet that ensued
was like that of the choir
when the director held her baton
still, upright, waiting
for the first downsweep of voice

then the sounds of after, the cedar waxwings 
eager to see the purple berries
without the coloration of
falling leaves, the strong contralto
unbending the sound of twisted wood
stretching back to before

the tiny nuthatches suddenly there
for all to notice their high piping
punctuated by the goldfinch never
bothered by the ebb and flow 
around them    but then, once again,

aware of the baton as the cello
took precedence and bathed the day
with sound so pure it gathered up
all the remnants of the wind, the tree, the birds,
into a form so true and profound, we all
joined that singularity of sound
that traveled with us to the stars.

	- fran claggett-holland