20160321 (rinse, repeat)

My "room open to the attic" which could have been a studio. Note the skylights.

I so love this hovel but I had 

Another bird in the house

This morning. Might have been

The same bird, they truly all

Look alike. Again a horrible 

Racket coming from the second

Floor living room which has 

Had the ceiling cut out to the

Attic—a striking space

One of the main reasons we 

Bought the place. My ex 

Wanted to use it for a major

Sewing area where she would

Teach. Today it houses two 

Bookcases, two large plants

And, as I said earlier, one bird

At that time banging away at 

A skylight trying to escape.

I hope these shall not be regular

Visits—I don’t like the feathers

Birds invariably shed, and I

Don’t like the bird mites who

Attend the birds. I closed the

Doors to the rest of the floor,

Opened the front windows,

Shoved the screens up. Soon 

The bird was gone, I think.

Were I Saint Francis and they

Perched on my arms I would

Give them a little sermon 

About preferring the outdoors

To the indoors as I presume

God intended, march them to

The porch and give them the

Freedom they so desperately seek 

When confined. And if I had the

Funds repairs require, I’d quickly

Beseech a contractor to close 

The hundreds of gaps in this 

Precious wreck, for the sake

Of the animals, if not my own--

About the heat that simply

Pours into the winter night

Skies. Whether it’s birds or

Squirrels my belief is they

Have a proper domain outside;

Mine is the territory within.

Besides they are wild. They

Have powerful muscles

Defined by constant use

Impeccably toned, sharp

Beaks, claws, and teeth to

Threaten my docile crowd

Of thoroughly spoiled cat

And dog, and me rabies-free.

About the only exercise I get

Besides the daily dog walk,

Is thinking about an elaborate

Shiny home gym, and where

To put it so I could hang my

Clothes on it as I understand

Most of these become. Cheaper,

Simpler, by far more versatile,

Would be a wooden kneeler I

Could fabricate in my shop,

Place by my bed in my

Spare monkish bedroom, 

Where from time to time I

Would attempt praying away

The fat. It too, would be a

Place where I could hang 

My clothes.

c. J.S.Manista, 2016