Patio

"la tourbière," by Alexandra Levasseur

Patio

If I were a bird this might be nest assembly
but instead I am moving out
which requires building and removing
piles of sticks and leaves from the patio

The pieces of the past year must be cleared
for the birds-to-come

In one way this is a happy task but
spider corpses and dreadful alive daddy longlegs
are inevitable

Make yourself up a cheering song
I coach myself
of how potato bugs practice compliance
as a form of self defense

Sing about the spider bodies gone over to tiny twigs
and leaves gone over to lace
All cannot stay

[Image above by Alexandra Levasseur]