Halcyon

Halcyon

Are you here to tell me that a new
cycle is beginning, should the past
be forgotten, the future embraced?
Should I move forward to the unknown?
Or are you here as a bad omen?
Is someone close to me going to
die. Did you choose to land on my rail
because you knew I would respect you
as you lay limp on the tile. Your shawl

curled tight, your teals and blues fading.
Or perhaps you are no more than
the little bird us humans think
beneath us. Perhaps you truly
did fall prey to your reflection.
Dandelion, your petals have
fallen; you left feathers behind,
I do not have the heart to throw

them away, not when I can
still picture your eyes staring,
Can still feel the softness of
your white belly and feathered
collar beneath my fingers
as I search for your heartbeat.
I trace the hard lines of your

beak, the dagger still strong
obsidian in death.
Yet still you do not move.
As I carry you in
paper towel outside to
the gumtrees, you feel as

if you might float on
the wind, too fragile.
dirt clumps beneath my
nails, in the shadow
of the tree you are

buried with no
flowers, instead
Cicada shells
to guard you, rest

with peace my
love, may your
next life be

longer
and more

kind.

Notes

Notes

Below are some notes about this piece, including the thoughts and external inspirations that occurred during its creation. 
Bear in mind, this is simply what I was thinking of when I wrote these poems and what they mean to me. If you interpreted them differently, that does not diminish how you felt as the reader nor the correctness/incorrectness of what you were thinking. 
Halcyon [2024] is a nonet about a day where I came home from class and found a dead forest kingfisher on my balcony. I’m not sure if he collided with my glass door (there were no marks on the glass) or if he simply came to my balcony to pass away (something that happens to me quite often). Regardless, I wrapped him in some paper towel and buried under some of the big gum trees outside my apartment. I chose the nonet form because I was curious about other forms that had strict numeric rules like haikus. 
nonet

Below are some notes about this piece, including the thoughts and external inspirations that occurred during its creation.
Bear in mind, this is simply what I was thinking of when I wrote these poems and what they mean to me. If you interpreted them differently, that does not diminish how you felt as the reader nor the correctness/incorrectness of what you were thinking. Poetry is subjective, and so is being alive.

“Halcyon” [hal-see-yon] is an ancient Greek term for kingfisher and comes from the goddess Alcyone.
“Dandelion” is a reference to Narcissus
“Rest with peace, my love…” the lines from here onwards are something I say whenever I bury an animal or drive past dead ones on the side of the road.

Sources: 

Eric Gofreed
EtymOnline
Poetry Foundation
World History Encyclopedia