A Minor Bird

I have wished a bird would fly away

And not sing by my house all day;

Have clapped my hands at him from the door

When it seemed as if I could bear no more.

The fault must partly have been in me.

The bird was not to blame for his key.

And of course there must be something wrong

In wanting to silence any song.  Robert Frost

[Frost, A Minor Bird; A New Anthology of Robert Frost’s Poems; New York: Washington Square Press, 1971, p.199]

Sometimes, the songs I try to silence are beautiful. Other times, perhaps they are the ones I most need to hear.  In a world full of people singing their truth or spinning lies, the least I can do is pay attention.

6 thoughts on “A Minor Bird

  1. Robin Nielsen

    My favorite style of poetry! Rhyming prose, i think it is!
    And definitely my overall favorite poet, Robert Frost!
    A lovely poem!
    Thanks Johnna!

    Reply
  2. Bill Albritton

    and just why do we use that phrase–“pay attention”? We “have” love and faith and peace—we don’t “pay” them. Maybe we must “pay” attention because if we don’t we will–pay, that is.

    Reply
  3. Robyn King

    How sad the day when we have no bird songs
    I have always enjoyed the Poetry of Robert Frost. I have a wonderful book of his poems in my bookcase. It is definitely time to revisit the pages. Thank you Johnna

    Reply
    1. Johnna Post author

      You are welcome! Frost is so wonderful, and I forget how much I enjoy reading his poems, maybe because I’ve been reading him since I was six or seven years old…peace, Johnna

      Reply

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