Of Phoebes and Superpowers
Phoebe’s rasp rinses away sleep’s
last wrinkles so she and I can sway
through summer in pristine harmony.
Tail-twitches balance her teeters
like green tea and stretches
gird my morning.
She dresses drab and I too
don gray— my home-couture.
But we homebodies flex
inestimable superpowers.
She hovers, wingbeats humming
a half step above grass tips,
chooses juicy insect bits
speared for pleading nestlings.
I hover too, savor the fleeting
matters of my day: stacking
Duplos, kissing scraped knees,
teaching grandsons to say please.
9 thoughts on "Of Phoebes and Superpowers"
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Excellent way to spend a Sunday – reading phoebe poems (and grandmothers with superpowers!) Love how you weave your life with hers. Say hello to her for me!
Thanks, Sylvia. I will say hello to her if I can get a word in edgewise!!
Lovely and sweet. I love that you’ve named the bird.
I can almost taste the sound of your poem, just beautiful
love the pairing of you and the phoebe. Sweet and satisfying. Thank you.
I hover too, savor the fleeting
matters of my day: stacking
Duplos, kissing scraped knees,
teaching grandsons to say please.
Such everyday moments.
“rinses away,” “gird,”–wonderful choice of verbs. And I love that turning point in the poem: “But we homebodies flex/inestimable superpowers.”
I love the last stanza!
The rhyming of “knees” and “please” in the last stanza is such a pleasant surprise! I love this!