"passerine" by Taruni Tangirala

passerine

the natural world encroaches upon
the passiveness of the lonely passerine.

the root of all mistakes lies in the
parasitic envelopment of the singer’s

throat, gentle asphyxiation playing
judge, jury, and executioner.

guttural shrieks replace the dulcet
sweetness of the songbird’s

instrument, and the whole world
weeps. the winter slurps the

minerals from radiant undergrounds
through the straw of phloem.

the thrall of the timekeeper lies in
waiting. waiting for the rust to

form, waiting for the roots to grow,
waiting for the life to die. but the

bleached white curtain of sultry
frost obfuscates him from

proceeding with every plan behind his
persistent gears, his hands too accustomed

to forming angles that he can’t reach
out and finish the job winter started.

he reaches out in vain; and the universal order
evaporates the everlasting ticks and tocks

just to replace them with the iridescent glow
of the night sky. the moon, which likes

playing hide and seek, doesn’t mind if others
play as well. so she waits and waits,

and doesn’t mind if her songbird is never
found. but even without the timekeeper,

thanatos must keep order in his realm.
the moon and the songbird know this well.

so the bird watches, too fatigued for
lividity. and the unwilling winter crescent

demystifies the passerine’s last song.

Photo Credit: Elizabeth Sterrett