the second Sunday of January started with a bang
and a flutter of sparrow down
sparrow had collided with our window

bedazzled, and in shock,
sparrow rested on our outdoor couch
only blinking and breathing, alive at least
sparrow’s family kept close, checking in, calling

paralyzed, for sure my husband said
it just needs a little while to regain its senses,
I’ve seen it before a friend said

sparrow seemed hurt, but we couldn’t tell
how do you know for sure when something as seemingly fragile as a songbird is really, truly broken?

I went away for a little while,
my daughter kept a watchful eye on sparrow
and when I returned, sparrow was perching on the couch

I put out a few seeds for the birds, to say sorry
for the window in their way
and the trauma still lingering in the air
as I held the snowflake of sparrow down

no one came, I was about to write
but that isn’t true anymore, for one crow did, warily