All Morning

from CRIMES OF PASSION  1973

ALL MORNING

All morning a wren has been building
a nest in my ear.  I will shelter anyone

who needs it, it’s always been
my problem, & who can resists small

birds?  They cannot hurt you,
even their tail feathers

twitching like soft razor blades,
my friend, oh, my friend.

-Terry Stokes (b. 1945)

All-Morning