an idle mind ♡ poetry

bird bones*

there was a bluebird in my heart
but I let it out
not tough enough for the cage
It said, please, please, please
as it began to die
after all of the whiskey and the smoke
and the landlords and the bartenders
and the sleepless nights
finally
caught up to it
there was a bluebird in my heart
but I let it out
too tired to stop him from chirping
tired of screwing up every time
someone heard it sing,
looking down into me, trying to
see what was left of the bones and
feathers
there was a bluebird in my heart
but I let him out
I said, you cannot survive outside
you cannot let them see you
you are too fragile-
and still I heard the begging
not clever enough to hide itself

so bone by bone
it came out in pieces
each hollowed snap echoing in my throat
while everyone slept
and I was left weeping

*this poem is a reference to Bluebird by Charles Bukowski, if you're so curious to go read his work. It is my favorite poem to date. I was hesitant to write something like this, so as to not be tacky, yet here we are. I hope it doesn't feel tacky.