Shawn L. Bird

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

poem-when May 29, 2018

Filed under: Poetry — Shawn L. Bird @ 10:56 am
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

(An early Father’s Day poem)

.

When I was little

your face was behind a camera

capturing moments of my small life,

fearlessly climbing the steps on the tallest slide,

thigh high stretches for a toddler,

far above your head,

not afraid;

no pain had touched me.

Your greatest gift was security

to grow up confident in your love.

No one else ever loved me so well

or with such shameless devotion.

Oh, how great my loss.

When I miss you,

as I often do,

my memories are lit with

gratitude,

gratitude,

gratitude.

 

poem- hockey night at our house April 20, 2018

Filed under: Poetry — Shawn L. Bird @ 4:44 pm
Tags: , , , , , ,

I turn on the TV:
Hockey commentary.
I am ten again.
Dad’s in the family room.
Whooping
Groaning
Arguing with the ref.
I feel a rush of nostalgia.
Turn the channel.

 

poem-sweater March 13, 2017

Filed under: Poetry — Shawn L. Bird @ 1:21 pm
Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

I found your cardigan

and held it close

searching for the sensation of your arms.

I gathered up the folds

and held it to my nose

searching for the scent of you.

You’ve been gone too long.

Instead of holding memories

Now

it’s just a sweater

you once wore.

 

 

poem-curses August 1, 2015

Filed under: Poetry — Shawn L. Bird @ 1:44 pm
Tags: , , , , ,

When very riled my dad would curse

“Sugar!” he’d cry with vehemence.

Remembering now makes me sigh,

t’was a perfect curse for such a sweet guy.

 

poem-naked July 28, 2015

Filed under: Poetry — Shawn L. Bird @ 9:33 am
Tags: , , , , ,

The line of naked men was long, snaking along a corridor

in the recruitment centre, with whispered jokes and camaraderie,

then the naked line was shorter,

then just one naked man standing awkwardly alone,

in the line of now clothed young men.

He fought flaming cheeks as they studied him punctiliously.

“No, you won’t do,” the army medical team announced.  “Heart murmur.”

Shame.

A great escape, that.  The boys who went to war never quite came home.

But that heart murmured along for another three quarters of a century,

serving his country by staying alive..

.

.

.

My dad had a lot of stories.  

Apparently I’ll be working through my grief setting them down as poems.

 

entrepreneur support June 11, 2013

Filed under: Poetry — Shawn L. Bird @ 12:09 am
Tags: , , , ,

My father never

passed a kid’s lemonade stand

without buying  joy.

.

.

(Having taken Food Safe, I confess that I am not as generous with stands, but I’m always good for several boxes of Girl Guide cookies, which makes little girls just as insanely happy as the lemonade entrepreneurs were left by my dad). 😉

 

Invocation for dads June 16, 2012

Filed under: Poetry,Rotary invocations — Shawn L. Bird @ 12:29 pm
Tags: , , , , , ,

Our fathers are our first role models of what it is to be a man.

If we are blessed to have a good one driving our household mini van.

He shows us how a romantic partner should behave;

He demonstrates just how our children should be raised.

He shows us this without a word, by what he does each day,

So we’ll reflect his teaching as we go on about our way.

If we weren’t blessed to have our  father  there to show us what to do,

Let us be thankful there are men, who’ll gather us in, too.

In thanks for each man, standing by his family,

Who cares, provides,  corrects and loves, from those of us who see.

.

© Shawn L. Bird 2012  Free use within Rotary, though please indicate when and where you have used the invocation by leaving a comment below.  Thanks!

 

 
%d bloggers like this: