We plan like architects to bring the outdoors
in, parrot like realtors the charms of a tree
house, for up on this hill, birdsong

is tangible. We always get
what we want, camouflaged in our mossy
cabin, high above the threshold

of discovery. Open sky. 360-degree view.
Proximity to water. Reliable food sources. Plenty
of nesting material. Gravel flies

from under the foot of a rabbit
fleeing a resident eagle. Ravens and stellar jays
battle over kibble, shit bomb the deck.

They want in. Past the windowpanes
that trick them. Frenzied. Talons flashing,
they enter through a door in the firmament.

I guide them outside, stunned at the feel
of wing bones. Banging hearts. A hummingbird
goes stillborn in the cup of my hands,

then, buzzers off, leaving a tang
in my throat, a ring of ruby dust
on my finger, incriminating as pollen.

©2007, Heather Haley

Architect of the Edgewise ElectroLit Centre and the Vancouver Videopoem Festival, poet, author, singer and media artist Heather Haley pushes boundaries by creating across disciplines and media. “Habitat” is from her forthcoming book, Window Seat.

Next page > “Hot Summer Nights” by Mary Hamrick...
Summer Poems collection > table of contents