Paper Birds

Cathy Joyce Lee

I planted the trees when you were young
small seedlings that could not hold a single bird
you reached out to hold my hand
and we watched the birds fly away 

You cried because it made you sad
fly away home birds, fly away home
they had to leave for stronger trees
we hoped they would return 

The trees grew and that made you happy
but the long, gangly branches of the saplings
were bent and snapped by strong perched wings
that finally took to flight 

So we made our own birds
delicate folds of colored paper
carefully infused with hope
They did not fly away 

They flew through the forest of our imagination
they sang melodies that nested in our hearts
they flocked and fluttered
in the riffles of spring leaves 

But you got angry at my beliefs
You crumpled the birds into paper balls
and threw them to the rain
they melted into the forest floor and cried 

And like a patchwork collage
I reassemble the mismatched pieces
the birds, the forest and a silhouette of my being
because I envision a path of illumination 

A trail we can follow no longer filled with paper birds
but with the warm breath of life and colors of dreams
with trees that are strong and shade disappointment
Then the birds will fly home, this is their home.

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Cathy Joyce Lee
Cathy Joyce Lee can be found hiking trails or paddling canoes. Her poetry is inspired by nature and artistic images painted by her uncle. Her writing reflects the emotions of life, death, resilience and rebirth. Cathy has been published in literary journals including 7th-Circle Pyrite, Pure Slush, Dream Noir and Prosetrics Literary Magazine.