There’s another stack of books on my desk:

1. National Geographic’s field guide to the Birds of North America.

2. The journal I first wrote these words in.

3. Jim Harrison’s “The Woman Lit by Fireflies”.

The voice of a ghost sings through the dust on the speakers. It’s a reggae song about love and hope.

I’ll turn it up but the hour is late. So I turn it up in my mind.

I can put away the paintbrushes, it’s past 10pm and my work is done.

I freed the sketches from the cage inside my head.

Bird pun? real classy…

Lesser Goldfinch

American Goldfinch

Purple Finch.