You Beautiful, Terrible Bird

as the birds do, someday you will fly.

you will soar into that unbearable expanse of sky,

but I believe

you will fall.

and

your brittle bones will strike against hard stones that seemed beneath you,

someday, like wooden matches splintering against their paper box

if you stay, like this, with so much fear of the sun,

and

if you stay, like this, with so much love of the darkness,

I will watch you,

I will study your every detail,

I will draw you in my mind,

and– and– and–

someday, I will wish that I could have saved you.