Glass Bird Dream

Walking in the fields and meadows,
in the shadows of the mountaintops

Heard the wind cry out,
longing, shrieking siren-song

Appeared then a great bird, wings a mile wide,
and blanked out the blue sky above,
body all of metal and colored glass, sapphire eyes

Turned downward, twisting dive,
and snatched my body in savage steel talon,
gripped tight

Carried fast across earth and sea,
cold breeze-bite whipping hair in my face,
clouds piercing my lungs, to top of the world,
air thin as a whisper, snow shine, pillow perch,
precipice edge

She lay me gently, tender, softly down,
her nest bed all bright linens, ribbons, silks intertwined

Saw then the egg, cracked in half, surface gleaming
etched gold and gemstones, inside bedding soft and warm,
but the child long since flown

She gazed down as I crawled inside,
curled into red velvet throne-bed

Love me. I'm home. I've come home.

Spread her wings and threw back golden beak,
calling out, sick with love

And the light of the sun blazed down on me
like stained glass windows through her feathers

DKE
8/15/05