Shawn L. Bird

Original poetry, commentary, and fiction. All copyrights reserved.

poem-He probably drives a sports car, too October 19, 2022

Filed under: poem,Poetry — Shawn L. Bird @ 7:40 pm
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Envy and bitterness

leaching through messages

Attacking success,

perseverence, achievement.

Pick them apart.

Minimize them to maximize you?

Hey dude,

Are you compensating?

Facing ‘if such unremarkable folk

can do it,

why can’t you?’

Is wondering why they’ve won

making you feel useless?

Um.

Maybe the difference is

they quit making excuses

and just got it done?

.

 

poem-Why aren’t you playing? February 10, 2022

Filed under: Poetry,poodles — Shawn L. Bird @ 12:43 pm
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Ramona spent the weekend racing around

The agility arena with her latest training partner,

Sewing personalized dog coats for friends,

Feeding a platoon of poodles

And a concert of birds,

Laughing,

Doing,

Playing.

Ramona didn’t dwell on the degeneration

That made most days painful;

She didn’t focus on the losses,

The quotidian agonies of aging.

I posted a plaintive photo, poor dog begging,

“Play with me, Mom?”

Ramona typed back, “So why aren’t you playing?”

Mere hours later, Ramona left the earth.

Her last words to me ring a challenge

Amid these pain-filled days.  We have just one life to embrace

What brings us joy.  Despite all the grief,

The sun still rises; there are things to do.  Today, find time

to play.

.

.

.

Rest in Peace, Ramona Stirling

 

poem-2nd day April 27, 2018

Filed under: Poetry — Shawn L. Bird @ 3:19 pm
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An unexpected opportunity

A lovely surprise.

Or not.

Thwarted by absence.

Then presence.

Nothing’s ever quite what’s imagined.

Intention yields to alteration

or obliteration.

Wishes wasted by

reality.

Nevertheless, we continue

to try.

 

poem- December 24, 2017

Filed under: Poetry — Shawn L. Bird @ 2:20 am
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Some of us

have more to contain

to be little rays of sunshine,

day to day,

but that doesn’t mean

it doesn’t do us more good

to be sunshine

than for us to complain

about our rain.

 

poem- valley May 31, 2017

Filed under: Poetry — Shawn L. Bird @ 2:33 pm
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Valley green like velvet in the morning light

waves rippling, sun twinkling;

sun stars captured on water,

dazzling.

Everywhere are lush reminders

of blessing

rising with the water,

over-flowing with the creeks,

sliding with the mud.

Blessings and curses.

It could be worse.

It could be worse

than being trapped in paradise.

 

poem-present June 24, 2016

Filed under: Poetry — Shawn L. Bird @ 11:45 am
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This day is wrapped in grey,

tied with a bow.

I know that whatever I say

you must decide whether

to find gloom in the grey,

or bloom in the glow of the bow.

 

 

poem- perspectives December 5, 2015

Filed under: Poetry — Shawn L. Bird @ 11:47 am
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“Isn’t it interesting,” the old lady mused,

“How people can have such different pictures of someone.”

Not really.

Especially when one always looks through a petty and critical lens,

and the other is open to receive love and kindness.

You see what you look for,

after all.

 

poem-dust September 30, 2015

Filed under: Poetry — Shawn L. Bird @ 8:55 am
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Motes make magic

in gleaming beams.

 

poem- adversity September 2, 2015

Filed under: Poetry — Shawn L. Bird @ 6:24 pm
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Four lanes of traffic gush past

the single stunted sunflower

stretching through a cleft in the pavement,

blooming in adversity.

 

poem- in the dung heap May 8, 2015

Filed under: Poetry — Shawn L. Bird @ 8:45 am
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Your displeasure wafts off you like

the shimmering waves of a manure pile in July.

You reject optimism and trust.

You will let no sunshine disturb your dung beetles.

 

 
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