Bird Song

Dodie Park

Bergen County Academies Poetry

straighten your fingers like the rays of the sun stretch across the field enough to let the light trickle onto your palms crack your joints counting to ten

leave the parka covered in winter behind dipped in the scent of bitter in your mornings and filled you up fifty percent

feel the warmth and let it cup your ears that was muffled to hear the empty in your body mouth that was bottled up with tongues of letters yet to be sent nose that smelled the frozen tears in January eyes that was blinded by the shadows

hear the awakening of the warbler calling for you taste the mangos and kiwis by the pine wood bench smell the hyacinths and wisterias in the slow walks covered in spring see the joy in the breeze drying up the teardrops embedded in your moleskine

you are renewed but not new

peeling off the seal of the journal bought in two thousand and eighteen you drink the same sun poured into the cup of sixteen years with a different tea bag of new petals

place the worn welcome mat in front of your home waiting for yourself to come back for you to melt hundred percent

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