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"Birds" by James Schwartz



Musing on a long ago winter,

At the Amish farm house,

A bird strikes the window pane,

"Ach my!" my mother exclaims,

"It is a death message!"

The kitchen is now lit,

By kerosene lamp light,

A sudden knock on the door,

My father receives the news gravely,

Mom weeps softly,

Occasionally over the years,

A bird bangs against the window pane,

"Ach!" Mom cries each time,

While Dad answers the door,

Musing on this winter night,

As snow silvers the city skyline,

A bird strikes the window pane,

But no one knocks on my door.




James Schwartz is a poet & author of various poetry collections including The Literary Party: Growing Up Gay and Amish in America (Kindle, 2011), Punatic (Writing Knights Press, 2019) & most recently Motor City Mix, Sunset in Rome (Alien Buddha Press, 2022), Long Lost Friend (Alien Buddha Press, 2023).

2022 Roi Fainéant Press, the Pressiest Press that Ever Pressed!

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