Parisa Yekalamlari
Midwinter Day
Bubbles of tomato popped through
arugula salad the
Bird on the sill told me
Yesterday in the cold front my children in our nest
From a bout of cold froze
I cannot go home to
Their little cold bodies against my underbelly
Its eyes far apart and beady I
Wasn’t sure where to look
Maybe somewhere in the distance
A firetruck rang and ants marched
with purpose
I’m sorry to hear that
The bird’s wings tucked politely into its sides some
Errant droppings fertilized the neighbor
Are you a seabird?
As a small kerchief around my neck kept the wind out
My children were seabirds
Petering the conversation towels hung from the kitchen need to
Wash those I remembered eyeing the peanut butter on
The counter opened earlier
Should I offer a spoon in the drawer
Knocked and rattled but
The door didn’t open