Conversations

Why do you come back,
brown bird flying,
to the same branch
on a bare Mass.Ave?

Is it this place,
the early morning
mathematician's
quiet task?

What are we missing,
brown bird singing
love songs to a
crosswalk light?

When no one walks by
no soul walks by
what holds you
here at night?

I hear
you're from faraway
a land I'm
lonely for,

I hear it
in your accent
first a little,
then more.

I know you're there,
dear bird, reading
numbers off
my page.

I know you but
my sloppy lines still
shy from your
heavy gaze.  

Tell me
are we right or wrong,
is this the world
you know?

Warn me
if we're losing track
of our lofty, noble
goals.

You're looking at me
and you're looking up
as if to check
the time, and say

hey what's got you
all spun up,
forget it,
just unwind.