I heard a Mountain Bird
Through the Window

It told me it loved
the white Camellia flower
and moved from twig to twig,
taking nectar from the
yellow heart.

It showed me
how to bounce the leaves
to make rustle,
and how to drop the rain
clinging to the tips. It said

“follow me through the tree”

And I saw its feathers
fluff to the rhythm
of the bouncing leaves.

It gave me a signal
to be a tree:
to help the birds fluff
and the rain drop
to be free again
and grow.

Copyright Dallas Burgess 2011

Published in The Mozzie June 2011

Reprinted in Valley Micropress New Zealand July 2011