Stanzas: Monthly Chapbooks June 2015 (Concrete Nature) | Page 20

A Swallow’s Nest
Simon Benson
I once saw a swallow’s nest,
just outside my window.
Wedged twixt wall and water pipe.
a very contemporary balancing act.
Cushioned, lay in it three fragile futures.
Parents so hectic to provide,
forgetting to supervise.
One mouth less to feed.
They say curiosity killed the cat,
but in this case
the cat killed the curious.
Not even hungry.
Those who can’t screech are so forgotten.
Almost as if protesting the non-existence of its sibling,
another too ceases to speak.
Withered feathers remain.
The last from fledgling to fully fledged grows,
grasping at each opportunity its unstable nest could
provide.
Cautious to multiply by less than one.
Scared to provide less than little.
I once saw a swallow’s nest,
just outside my window.
Once.

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