August Garden

Yellow buttons pop out from the centers of my overfertilized Dahlias
Tomato leaves wilt and drop from my overwatering
Koi fish become too chubby to jump up for one more Cheerio
Mother sparrow upbraids me: Enough with the tossed crumbs!
Come, my chicks, time to learn to hunt and peck for yourselves…

Then a tiny sparrow is left behind with an injured wing
And with eyes that cannot see, she hops against my foot and stays
I touch a crumb to her closed beak
She chuff-chuffs at me, swipes her tail against my naked toes
Until I sit in stillness beside her on my wooden bench

I am as still as the statue of Dr. Starzl sitting on a bench
By Pitt's Cathedral of Learning
I drop all efforts to feed her
Stop thinking of ways to save her
Though it pains me so as darkness descends
And a shiver runs through us