Kaaterskill Basin Literary Journal is excited to feature Paris Norris’s debut published poem, “The Red-Winged Bird.” There’s nothing more exciting to us as editors than reading a piece we all unanimously love, except to find out a piece we unanimously love is by a previously unpublished writer.

 

The Red Winged Bird

Paris Norris

 

there was this bird with red wings
and a charcoal belly that left traces of ash in its path
it reeked of misery with its violently arrogant flight
i, incapable, no taller than fears height

there was this ocean-eyed bird
and it laid small with its charismatic wing span
lily padded breaths lost in the valley…
forming a shadow of pious currents purging
the red winged ones fiery eyes to darts.
i, incapable, was bound to her nest

thinking I could help her wings grow…

the cotton clouds swirled
like the love her poise could resuscitate
but her lungs cringed
as sand overwhelmed by the water’s chill
crumbling and my eyes grew wide      because
that was my Grandmother
going with the orange peeled sky