the last blackbird
the last blackbird
even now, i’m not sure
why i walked to the end of the avenue
before sitting on the curb.
one city bus marquee after another boasted
that channel two news is best…
until channel seven at six arrived with the next bus.
at the end of the avenue
blackbirds waited, watching near-empty sidewalks
from a drooping wire.
it was then i decided i would not
leave the end of the avenue
until the last blackbird had flown away.
only one remained as darkness approached
until finally it shuddered
and fell to the ground, dead.
i had never seen a bird die
but i believe that’s why i walked to the end of the avenue
before sitting on the curb…
unsure about what to do with a dead blackbird,
i waited for the channel two news team to arrive
on the side of a city bus.
turns out that when it comes to the little things
—things that matter—
none of the news teams cared much about blackbirds…
or about an old man contemplating death
while sitting on the curb
at the end of the avenue with the last blackbird.
tolbert
Copyright © wayne tolbert | Year Posted 2025
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