Laurel Snyder – Despite She Is Small


Laurel Snyder

Despite She Is Small

The sky has a blackbird.
The field has a girl.
The sky is to the field as
The field is to the sky, only

Backwards.  White is
To the blackbird as fear
Is to the girl, despite

She is small and alone.

The bird has a wing
in the wind, a face to
the sky and a shadow
on the girl.

Now there is a boy
in the field, too.  Now
the girl says she would
like to hold the blackbird.

“Free is not the same
as clean” says the boy, “or safe
and anyway, the blackbird
would not want to be held.”

The bird beats its wings.
The girl does not hold the boy.
The sky creaks.
The girl says, “I live in this

World,” and means it,
But still—she is small
In the field and beneath
The sky and the path

Of the blackbird.  “I live
In this,” says the girl.
“Alone,” says the girl.
(Things become quieter)

(the boy decides to go
home) “—No matter
what you may do
with your life,” says the girl.

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