“Hemlockwing,” by Cordelia Christian
February 1, 2017
Hemlockwing
In my sleeping, midnight wings unfold
they are ragged, dusty,
like the silencing cobwebs
that stir in my breath
the darkness is my mooring
my ship is the resurrection of a lost dream
though that heart was long ago discarded
still beating
arms ornamented with red-brown feathers
mottled with blood
I am the sparrow, broken,
flightless, I lie twitching
I am gone
He is gone
a small curved beak
brown speckled feathers
this is my universe
I am the clock
the echo of his burial is here,
under the leaning spruce tree
the wavering tongues of wind gone
his hollow bones
unraveled
Cordelia Christian wrote this poem while a student at TOPS K-8 School, with WITS Writer-in-Residence Laura Gamache. She will be opening for Helen Macdonald, who is giving a lecture tonight for SAL’s Literary Arts Series at Benaroya Hall.