Golden Shovel with line from The Gun Song by the Lumineers
The wrens first built & second abandoned their petal-lined nest: wilted orange flower & things
like salamanders & wasps penetrated the thicket of birth. An empty structure still stands & I
am not awakened at 4 am by their riotous song. Listen: I am an accessory to murder. I knew
not to tell anyone: not to shine a flashlight into their home: not a hypothetical scenario when
the outcome is as final as flame. I planted peppermint plants to keep the squirrels away: I
fenced the dahlias with lavender & sage so the rabbits stayed in their patch of clover. I was
planning this violence all winter so everything would open at the same time. Tiger lilies: the young
sparrows rising from their shells. The daisies never stay in chains: they are almost dead. Some
xenias will last all summer if I can keep the slugs away. I’m learning backyard bird songs: were
you to arrive today I could explain the chorus: blue jay/ raven / a bright cardinal so true
to his art that his babies will surely be discovered. one by one. Dog-walking neighbors &
rabbit-eating dogs: I know this is the circle/I know hunger is a flooded nest/I know. Some
keep their distance: some look into my window to see what I’m singing: I wish they were
listening without weapons in hand: without teeth or wings: our choices necessary & wrong.