one day, by the dumpster, i saw an abandoned stuffed bird
i saw it and forgot, but it didn’t forget me, it even began to stalk me –
wherever and whenever i would go, whomever i would meet, i saw the ragged bird

at first, i pretended not to see it
let it show itself, what do i care – it neither chirps nor pecks at me

but eventually, it grew rude – appearing not only in public places –
among students, listeners, pedestrians –
but showing up among friends, perching even on my loved ones’ heads

so i tried to make nice, asking – what are you doing here and what do you want?
but the stuffed thing just squatted there – silent
and my father, on whose head it eventually perched, only looked at me inquiringly
dad – i whispered – there’s a bird on your head!
but he just waived his hand, you know – big deal

from that time on, i began to see the stuffed creature in my dreams –
no escape – i hardly slept, i barely ate, i barely was –
and i would keep seeing it – always frozen in the same pose, mute, frayed,
though it began to seem to me that it was smiling – the stuffed bird was mocking me
so i finally snatched it up and threw it with all my strength at the wall, only, it turned out,
that wasn’t the wall, but a mirror.

that was the first time i saw a bird fly
in a mirror