caught in a clatter of thoughts
I walk into the open courtyard
at work already worrying my day
a chorus of English starlings leap
limb to limb filling a red bud
with their chattering songs
as I step from the edge
of the courtyard the birds fall
silent into beatific unison
I stop and stand still with the birds
who flutter like frightened leaves
each of us seeking our own refuge
(October 2012)
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