1.
When she spoke
birds flew from her mouth
and flew around the room.
At first, we thought “beautiful.”
What a marvelous spectacle.
A nightingale
Then a swallow.
Then a cockatoo.
A parade of birds.
After the seventh
we became concerned.
2.
He aspired
to become a bluebird.
He focused on turning his hair
into feathers, turning his voice
into chirps, his feet
into tiny talons.
He gave up his career
in finance. One day
someone asked him
about dividends.
He pecked at their oxfords.
3.
When she spoke
she spoke only of him.