“Phoebe” by Preston Miller


The first big step, a gentle push.
Over the edge into the world.
To sing a song, forward best foot,
Nature’s message– life unfurled.

Her virgin wings caress the sky
A fluttering breeze leaves my finger.
A newborn zephyr, she has her why,
To find the how, the answer lingers.

That fleeting moment into the trees.
I know we’ll never meet again.
Should she return, should she so please,
I’ll hear your song, my dearest friend.


Preston Miller is a master’s student at the Elliott School of International Affairs from Atlanta, Georgia. He believes that the most impactful moments in our lives are brief, so he likes to write poetry in a way that captures those moments, however insignificant they may seem at the time.