Lessons From A Cardinal

Posted by Sunni on July 12, 2012 in poetry | 1 comment

there is a red cardinal here,
that is enamored with it’s reflection.

It spends ALL DAY coming back and forth
to it’s reflection in the car mirrors.
Trying to kiss,
or attack,
it’s own reflection.

It can’t get enough.

Every time it bumps up against the glass,
no matter how much it hurts,
it keeps coming back.

This is what we do.

Such a beautiful teacher
this cardinal is!

We get lost in our own image,
the image of FORM.
Of all that we appear to be —
we are enamored with it.

and no matter how much it hurts
we keep coming back and banging our head against it.

I know how much this obsession costs me,
and still I must bang my head against it from time to time
just so I can make sure…

it’s not real.

This is what my cardinal friend shows me.
how futile the fight to get close
to the
UN-Real.

It will keep casting you out
it will never let you in,
it will never return your affections —

it’s just a mirage.

and all this,
while freedom waits in the wing,
the whole
time.

Give up the image.

Give up the stunning allure of
FORM

and
FLY.

© 2012 Sunni Chapman