Shawn L. Bird

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

Poem- Parts May 24, 2015

Filed under: Friendship,Poetry — Shawn L. Bird @ 11:49 am
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I’m part English, part Welsh, part Prussian, part French

Diluted by experiences of generations born the ‘right’ colour.

Not even ‘No Irish need apply’ to tarnish their immigrant dream:

Canada, land of opportunity for the stalwart farming types.

Though great-grandpa was an accountant and failed at farming.

.

So who am I to comment on anyone else’s parts?

.   My great-niece: part African

.   My nephew: part First Nations

are just family.  Or 

Those friends from here and there whose colour

Was not as important as their character

Whose home culture was a matter of curiosity

Never animousity.   We were

White kids convulsing over that time at the bar

When the guy climbed into the back of Khalid’s car

convinced he was a taxi driver,

And we never considered that maybe  parts of his heart

Were incized by the stereotype he laughed off.

Because we didn’t waste time worrying about races or colours,

We were full of the wonder of all our parts racing together toward our futures.

.

.

This was created as part of an assignment in my Education of Inclusion course.  This week we’re looking at cultural inclusion and racisim.  One of the videos we watched was about ‘hyphenated Canadians’.  We were expected to comment on this, but I just don’t feel like I can say anything about what it might be like to feel caught between cultural identities, so this poem is my offering on the subject.

 

poem- box of stars December 18, 2014

Filed under: Friendship,Poetry — Shawn L. Bird @ 5:16 pm
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I open

an innocuous box

to find a starry sky,

music for the spheres,

time travel.

I open

an innocuous box

to find sparkling stars

that make me smile

remembering.

.

.

.

and since the box contained the 25th Anniversary edition of The Interstellar Suite in Surround Sound (among many other lovely things), I should probably include a link to a 25 year old event that inspired a scene in Grace Awakening, shouldn’t I?  (Thanks Arlene for that awesome sparkly sky paper!)

 

poem- belated gifts December 13, 2014

Filed under: Friendship,Poetry — Shawn L. Bird @ 1:34 pm
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I heard you sent it

and it makes me smile

to know my mail box

will receive a gift

from the past.

When it arrives

I will float back in time,

swim in memories for a while,

then break the surface

to be thankful

for now.

 

poem- and so December 1, 2014

Filed under: Poetry — Shawn L. Bird @ 6:40 pm
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And so your words come slowly,

squeezed like frozen toothpaste;

they do not echo;

they fall with a dull clunk.

.

And so your words come slowly

like a sail boat becalmed;

they hover over her,

dark storm on the horizon.

.

And so your words come slowly;

she watches them

approaching from the distance

like a prairie dust storm.

.

Your

.

words

.

c   o    m      e

.

s    l      o            w                l                    y.

 

poem- confidence November 27, 2014

Filed under: Poetry — Shawn L. Bird @ 8:03 pm
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There is security,

profoundly deep,

knowing that whatever

needs to be done

will be done,

without me having to ask.

.

There is gratitude,,

profoundly deep,

knowing that whatever

I need

will be met,

without argument.

.

There is peace,

profoundly deep,

knowing that whatever

happens, I can trust you,

to be there.

 

poem- alteration May 21, 2014

Filed under: Poetry — Shawn L. Bird @ 5:48 pm
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It begins

in awe

a stunned staring

with a grin that expands

from mouth to feet

’til even toes are smiling

with delight.

It grows

in time

as kindly sharing

expands experience

from then to now

’til familiarity leads

to comfort.

It rests

in fondness

warm embraces

transcending miles and

knowing paths will cross

again.

 

 

The Thing September 7, 2011

Filed under: Poetry — Shawn L. Bird @ 2:58 pm
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With a bump and a grunt I started to jump

What was that by the cat?  That thing with the lump?

Something scary

and hairy.

Something wiggling!

(I’m jiggly!)

It is black on its back

It is red on its head.

That bit on the paw,

Was that yellow I saw?I

Those colours so bright are making me weep

from the fright.

I fear it will come near

Will bump into me here?

It will leap while I sleep!

Will it beat me? Or eat me?

I stared and I shivered

It glared and I quivered.

It wiggled closer to me

A tingle ran through me.

A step closer it came

And then closer again!

I just couldn’t help it: I shrieked.

Then the thing, well, it leaked

A small yellow puddle

Of a fellow in a muddle.

Its head tilted down

On its face a sad frown,

From its eyes dripped a trickle.

Oh my! That’s a pickle.

Is it looked up at me, I thought, “Could it be

That the thing over there, That thing covered in hair,

that thing coming near Is not something to fear?

If it leaked when I shrieked,

Did it think I was scary?

Did it think I was hairy?

With black on my head

My back covered in red?

So I took one step nearer and the creature came clearer.

It was cute.  It was fuzzy. It was really quite lovely!

I dropped to my knees as the thing gently sneezed.

“Hello Thing,” I said.  “My name is Fred.”

“Can I be your friend?”

(True story)

The End.

 

BFF April 10, 2011

Filed under: Friendship,Pondering — Shawn L. Bird @ 10:07 am
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Today I’m thinking about my first BFF.  I met my friend Cathy when I arrived at Nickle Elementary Junior High as a grade two student.  She was in grade one.  We lived a couple doors away from each other, so over the years we ended up spending more and more time together, inventing schemes, discussing first loves, pestering her brothers, and learning about the world.

Cathy travelled around the world, living at least briefly in North Humberside and Devonshire, England.  When she met her love in New Zealand, she lived in several cities there.  She’s been all over the UK, Europe, and Asia.  Her wedding was an international event!  These days she juggles a young family and a medical clinic with her musical and investment hobbies. 

We don’t see each other very often, but when we do, it’s as if no time has passed.  The connection remains as strong as it was back in elementary school.  People who know us in our youth know all the essential truths of our being.  It’s good to know they’re out there, even if we don’t get to see them as often as we’d like.  So here’s to those friends who’ve been there forever.  Who remember us at our geekiest and our most amazing.  Who have all the secrets that could get us into trouble, and guard them (except when they are tired of all the boy talk and choose to mortify us in front of said boy). 

 Here’s to our Best Friends Forever, whether they’re around the block or around the world.

Happy Birthday, BFF.

Got milk?