ON HUMMINGBIRDS AND NECTAR
Rodney J. Hugen
Life slips the gaps between the tanner thorns
and finds the ruby flower's sweet candied nectar
dripping through the wounds of broken petals
as long stemmed gashes of gray green stalks
stagger hard beneath the beating of feathered frenzy
The honed piercing of sharpened barbs strike back
at the winged warrior who searches out perilous perch
on bent twig holds or wind wavered branches
while enduring one small slashing at a time,
persistent to die, life bleeds slow, incessant.
In that twinkling when reciprocation transpires
both lose blood and both glean the substance of life
needing each other, longing for each other,
crying out for each other, in narcissistic passion
assaulting to pirate what should gently be offered.
Longing for morsels of sweetest confection
each drives the other off with a deeper severing,
a greater toll, losing even the intimacy of pain
from afar I see the senselessness and gasp
but in the moment, wreak my own intended havoc.
Hummingbirds need flowers like flowers need birds
yet the battles smolder and wars never cease
and the living of life is found in the dissipation of it
so I put up my thorns or stick out my beak
never remembering that grace is in the gaps.
06/21/04 | 
