KRISTINE O'CONNELL GEORGE

 

Visitor

A spark, a glint,
a glimpse
of pixie tidbit.
Bright flits, brisk zips,
a green-gray blur,
wings, zings, and whirr—
I just heard
a humming of bird.

Nest Construction

Even after days of work,
she's still fussing, tucking—
feathers, cobwebs, a tuft
of silky grass.
Stepping lightly
around the edge,
she finally tries
it on for size,
checking to see
if it will fit
her sit.

Just Hatched

Each new
breath a shudder
as he huddles down deep
in the nest, head tucked in,
his body softly rounded,
warmly molded to the form
he once knew so well:
the smooth curved
world of shell.

from Hummingbird Nest: A Journal of Poems by Kristine O'Connell George, illustrated by Barry Moser. Harcourt, 2004. © Kristine O'Connell George. Used with permission of Harcourt, Inc.