bird of paradise

[revolutionR]

I remember the bird of paradise flying on its green stalk
from the perspective of a view held there by childhood
I actually don't remember a bird of paradise, or maybe
I remember the flower with its unusual shape, its reddish
tongue, speaking its eloquent thrust into the stylish air
certainly a different kind of flower thing, with a wing
a child would see it in a curious mode, the way it rode
the stalk, or perhaps it was a certain day that plant
caught the attention of a lingering moment in time

When I think back, which I do often, when I write poetry
I see in my mind's eye like looking down a tunnel, a funnel
back to some first kind of memories, I ask.."what does a child
remember?", compared to what other ones, what sorts it out?
certainly an unusual looking flower that almost looks alien
would stand out, or it would stand against some memory
that otherwise would be forgotten in the mists of the past

I have a child like mind, I am a poet, a definition of a poet
who sees words as bright things in a otherwise vague landscape
it's not the skill of the poet that makes these bright images
it's the work of the one who would write about strange thought
otherwise why even bother to put words into word's mouths
let them speak for themselves, you say, but is that even possible

only by becoming like a child again, can any of this make any sense
is the bird of paradise a good name for such a flower, is it a poetic one
and what would a bird in paradise look like, like a three tongued thing
a three winged thing, with its lovely colors that fly or stab at the sky
sharp tongued, or a triple bladed jack knife that almost sings its glory
as a child, I would want to touch such a beautiful object, to know it's real
as a poet I see the words used to name such a fabulous bird, once paradise
once a flower that seems to signal it has a purpose other then as decoration

[WIREMAN]

descriptive....this bird needs no pic....

[Doreen Peri]

I thought that was you! ♥ ♥ ♥