hear a bird riffing up
and down a tune:

the house finch, flame-chested
but mostly skin and hollow bones

clockwork joints
overlaid by mere feather

yet I recall finches swarming
enormous crows.

so is courage stoked by
fire at one’s core?

perhaps so.

but what of finches’ migration?
no radar to guide just

tired muscle and memory
of sun, wind and moon

driven by spirit
tougher than anger and

a love of long distance
of beating the miles

though some perish
a few lose the way.