Daily Poem July 6, 2009

Meditation On Wonder

At a party in Westport we notice a tree like ours
in another yard. Just like our tree, we say, amazed.
We admire the graceful, triple trunk that opens up
to a full, symmetric crown that sways deliciously—
we notice that from a certain spot it mostly hides the ugly house across river.
Just like our tree.

Every morning for a week after the party we remember
when we first look at the world. We see our tree and six crows
that have perched beneath it on the fence rail every morning all this summer—
six fledges we can’t tell apart; who dip stale bread into the birdbath
or use it to wet paper bags they’ll tear apart for what’s inside them.
And one of us will say, The crows are back.