Morning News
The first thing you don’t want to do
this morning is listen to the news.
Instead of the red-winged
blackbird clearing his throat.
The low-moaning morning
dove, her broken record
The low-moaning morning
dove, her broken record
of love. Not that you don’t like
to open your eyes to reality, too.
Whatever it is and isn’t. Or hear
to open your eyes to reality, too.
Whatever it is and isn’t. Or hear
what it is happening in the I.C.U’s,
the dying and recovering there.
Not that you won’t read who died.
the dying and recovering there.
Not that you won’t read who died.
Gave up their lives in the line
of their personal, professional duty.
Cleaning a hospital room.
of their personal, professional duty.
Cleaning a hospital room.
Cooking, nursing, doctoring
the tubes and monitors.
Everyone mask-talking,
the tubes and monitors.
Everyone mask-talking,
as if they are family.
As if they could hear the birds
through the fixed windows.
As if they could hear the birds
through the fixed windows.
To remember the sounds,
the songs they make this spring
morning. The numbers rising
the songs they make this spring
morning. The numbers rising
and falling like mist in the fields.
sirens singing in the canyons
between apartment buildings.
sirens singing in the canyons
between apartment buildings.