birds on a Tuesday morning in June right after the solstice

its just that

when the heart is a weight

you carry

‘cause you can’t get together

to say goodbye to a sister

and you can’t hug

a friend hello or

so long

and you can’t visit

just anyone

and you can’t sing in a group

as one

and you can’t cheer together

for a curtain call

or an encore

or a goal

or sit hushed together waiting

for the pay-off pitch

the sweet songs of prairie birds

in a lush back yard

sun filtering through leaves

like maple seeds

lighten the load