z finch perturbed

trembling warm within my fingers

little zebra finch struggles

and then goes still

only showing signs of regaining

life when i set him back

into the newly cleaned cage

if only he could survive on his own

i would set him free to fly

into the vastness of blue

but he was hatched from egg

to cage and knows only the birdseed

i have fed him all his life

i watch as he stand, shaking a moment

then flutters up to high perch

and in a moment scolds

before partaking of seed and fresh water

MaryJane Nordgren

Author of the Nandria Series, MaryJane is a retired family practice physician who grew up in the Midwest but now lives in the Pacific Northwest.

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bouncer