A Turn by Carol Hamilton

Photo of bird on wire fence — Photo by Suzanne D Williams on *Unsplash*

There is a perfection

to the mockingbird’s song

dropped from a black wire,

to the white slashes

of his spread tail feathers

against this deep, clean blue.

The choral repertoire

of his hopes is chanted

,,,,over and over

.,,,,and over and over and over

,,…..,,and over

through the night

,on and on,

a desperation

,,,,…sharp edges finely stropped

,,…..,,to rip open

,…….,,,even the loveliest sigh.

Carol Hamilton’s poetry appears in Louisiana Literature, Southwest American Literature, San Pedro River Review, Dryland, Pinyon, Adirondack Review, Commonweal, Broad River Review, Fire Poetry Review, Gingerbread House, Main Street Rag, and Free Lunch. She has publish seventeen books: children’s novels, legends and poetry. She is a former Poet Laureate of Oklahoma.