in my heart lays a cardinal
beautiful and red-winged creature
aching to fly away
every day I clip the bird's wings together
it's brilliant red hue slowly fading away
only sometimes I unshackle it
in the dead of night
where the painted moon glistens against the whole world
and solitude embraces me
but as soon as the first rays of sun come
I dash over to the cardinal
pastel strokes of paint in the sky
unseen, unheard, forgotten
and ,again, I clip its wings
- "I've seen you smile but I've never really heard you laugh"
