I would have turned away
had the bird stayed silent—
the audacity of its song,
shrill notes piercing woodland’s
brooding depths,
a secret message against the quiet
heat of midday. And I,
deciding to avoid what chores
needed to be done, allowed
these truths to enter choosing
instead the odor of decaying leaves
and chanterelles,
skunk cabbage’s burgeoning spathes—
their bright yellow glow.
Sharon M. Carter is a poet and visual artist originally from Lancashire, England who lives on the gorgeous Olympic peninsula in the Pacific Northwest. Her poetry book, Quiver, was published last year. She recently retired from a career in healthcare.