when i stop by the tree at the edge of the loch

the afternoon sunny
and filled

with people

going about
living

none of them alive
to the bird on the branch

right in front of us

and

when i bend down
carefully
to put the weight of my life down

the robin

sees what i am doing

unhides himself
holy eyes shining

gives me

the perfect black diamond
of his wide open beak

perhaps
because he saw

my mouth
open
with awe, and me

hungry

for anything that tastes like beauty

a prophecy
perhaps

he feeds me a song

sets everything
on fire.

— when i was prayed for by a robin

© Liezel Graham 2020.

Image by Fred Moon
Unsplash

a poem about a moment when something glorious grabbed me and wouldn’t let go.

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