Turns out it’s good
for wind to blow through the house,
for windows to be open

I freed a hummingbird today
from plastic we had placed to keep out rain —
it fled my hands
and so got further stuck
until I broke the sheet away
and it escaped

The swallows still fly in and out,
but with the windows covered,
they got confused —
one had to make a stop inside,
perched on a rafter
before it could complete its outward swoop

Yes, we’re in a race against the weather,
but the game has its own rules —
apparently, for now, we need to make room
for others to play.

©Wendy Mulhern
August 12, 2019