birds you cannot see

there are birds in the darkness that douse electrical fires

flaring up in nursing homes and the bedrooms of blind men

birds you cannot see

there are birds in the darkness who nest in wooden crutches

eye patches and bandages

broken spinal columns

and pots of winter plants

birds you cannot see

filling every tree

falling out of closets

and perched on the hands of dying men

there are birds in the darkness who lead lost dogs off highways

steer boats past icebergs

save children stuck in wells

birds you cannot see

there are birds in the darkness seen by those with tumors

circling common light bulbs with blue-feathered halos

and the sound of rain

birds you cannot see

filling every tree

falling out of closets

and perched on the hands of dying men