The Birds At Night, poetry written by Jessica Helen Brant at Spillwords.com

The Birds At Night

The Birds At Night

written by: Jessica Helen Brant

 

An intruder squats
on a dream—
luring in the dreamworld
with a sound
softer than sirens,
more resounding
than whispers

A night rider perches
on nerves—
snapping like twigs,
chirping like a backyard bird,
until the sun goes down

The chirping gets louder,
as dark blankets light
they diminish softly,
then pick back up
with the crescendoing
of a nocturnal chorus
of insects,
of barking dogs
to the rhythm
of a metronome
made of moonlight

The sun has vanished,
time for rest
to find some rest,
to stay restless,
to rest on time,
the kind on which
the restless relies.

Time
is nourishing
is as comforting as a pillow,
cushioning the body,
an incubator for nerves,
an amenity we attach to,
a comfort we cope with,
as familiar feeling
as the birds chirping
at night

Time lives here,
in our bodies cushioned so,
for as long as we can lay there,
moving hauntingly slow
the birds don’t stop chirping,
the dogs don’t stop barking,
the insect choruses
never cease
Time moves slow
for the night creatures,
existing on need.

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