Lord God Bird

You're out there, I know,
Perched high above
Soft stagnant waters,
In sunlight and shadow,
With your own goals in mind.
Close to two feet tall
Of tightly-focused feathers,
Each thought that you have
Is punctuated, underlined,
And hammered home twice.
White line on your cheek,
Red cap on your head,
Like an ancient warrior come
Out of vast forgotten tracts
And silent southern places.
I know you're not pileated,
That the game that you play
Is no more than the grail bird
You have surely become:
Sought after in quests; unfound.
Send down a double tap,
Proud seeker of shadows,
Then flit away, always away,
So that hope stays alive,
All wrapped up in wonder.

Samuel A. Southworth
February 22, 2002
NYC

Click Here for the Sighting News Release (PDF)

Page last updated on Monday August 21, 2006