Palinode (birds)
Simplicity, as in the cloaca. One aperture for all: eggs,
urine, sperm, feces. The majority of birds copulate
by joining the openings of their cloacae (most male
birds lack penises). Nothing is for nothing.
Nothing is for nothing, but the ache of emptiness
bestows its own reward. That movement from outer
world to inner, to anima, to breath, to flight,
approaching heaven. Birds know the way.
Knowing the way, birds express our envy of the
boundless, testament to the unity of earth and sky,
instinct’s voice. We see feathers not as epidermal
outgrowths, but as emblems of what we forever seek.
As emblems of what we seek, crows exploit man’s
folly, exposing hidden truths. Thought and memory
recede, leaving us foundered. Altered consciousness,
flight, the space to believe, simplicity’s forms in one.
“Palinode (birds)” first appeared in slightly different form in Otoliths in fall 2016.
O at the Edges 
An insightful and probing poem. Beautifully written. Exquisite imagery. Thank you for this 🙏
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So pleased you think so. Thank you!
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My great pleasure Robert. You are a truly gifted writer.
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You are very kind!
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“…emblems of what we forever seek”
Indeed, and the folly that too often accompanies that effort.
All well said, Bob.
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That folly goes without saying. 🙂
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That penultimate stanza — with “birds express our envy of the boundless” — is so spot-on… And the shout-out to Huginn and Muninn at the end made me smile. 🙂
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Thanks, Sunshine. H&M seem to get around a bit, don’t they?
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Well, God: I hardly know where to begin. First, I’m a longtime chicken keeper, and I did not know roosters do not have penises. This makes me feel more kindly toward their apparent sexual aggression, which looks more like rape than the intimate cloacal kiss I now realize they are trying to achieve.
And, of course: beautiful poem. Birds know the way indeed. Thanks, Bob. .
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Roosters don’t, but ducks do. Go figure! And thanks, Cate. I’ll follow the birds…
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“unity of earth and sky” Ahhh. And I love** the way it not only entwines from one stanza to the next, but around back on itself at the end.
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Thanks very much! I wrote about a dozen of these pieces a few years ago, and found it an interesting form to work in.
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“Nothing is for nothing”… really ties it all together.
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It could almost be my motto.
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“I am a total genius of poetry, and resplendent soul…” should be your motto, Sensei!!
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“I’ll have another beer” is probably more realistic.
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“Nothing is for nothing,” but an opportunity to open oneself to new skies. Yes! The multi-purpose bird “aperture” (was diction ever more perfect?) lends much-needed perspective!
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Remember: hope is the thing with epidermal outgrowths. 🦆
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Indeed!
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Robert, I truly enjoyed every line of this wonderful poem – and learned something too. Interesting form!
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Thanks, Betty. I may return to the form one of these days, but it requires a different mindset from most of what I’ve been working on. Interesting how that is.
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It’s honestly amazing how you make an orifice sound so graceful… Maybe if humans were made like this, we wouldn’t have to worry so much about gender boundaries?!
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I’d guess that fashion would be different, too. 🙂
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Ah, I’d never thought about that… The world would be quite different I’d that happened…
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This is beautiful. You are truly a marvel at joining science with art — Something is for Something, in this case!
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Thank you, Carrie. I’ve never thought the two should be at odds, so I enjoy mixing them.
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Robert, I read this poem several times and came back to this line “birds express our envy of the
boundless”. I am not sure if it is envy but it sure does leaves a void, an yearning to explore and be one with the boundless.
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Yes, it’s one of those feelings I can’t quite put my finger on…
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“but the ache of emptiness
bestows its own reward” I love this bit especially.
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It’s been evident in my life.
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In mine as well.
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Nice says…
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Thank you.
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