Martha Morseth
Broken nests
The wings of birds fly black against the shred
of brilliance cut from an afternoon sky, heavy
with grey skin of clouds. Below, among the pines,
my feet stumble against storm-toppled nests.
So much skill, I think, so much care. You start
again but simpler: this time a few sticks,
some straw, maybe a couple beetle wings
for colour, and down for warmth, wondering
how long before winds dislodge the new nests,
fling them down for me to find. How long before
bird mouths, hungry for hope and seeds,
plummet back into sky, hoping to find the rift.
Martha Morseth lives in Dunedin. N.Z. Her poems have appeared in New Zealand literary and popular magazines. A collection of her poems, Staying Inside the Lines was published in 2003. Her other books are Yeah! short stories for teenagers (2002) and Let’s Hear It for the Winner! three one-act plays (2003).