Monday, October 29, 2012

The Bluebird In My Heart Takes Wing

By Claudia Ricci

Because of the hurricane, teaching plans at the University had to be rearranged. At the suggestion of my dear friend and colleague (and fabulous poet, Nancy Dunlop), I had the students read Charles Bukowski's famous poem, "Bluebird" -- and then we wrote our own versions. Several students read their poems out loud. Here is the one I wrote.

There's a bluebird in my heart that feels like she's dying, and I want to revive her. WRITE now.

There's a bluebird in my heart that's more alive every time I've got this pen in my hand.

There's a bluebird in my heart and I've heard her singing the sweetest melodies, and it isn't easy to play them on my guitar but I am motivated to try.

There's a bluebird in my heart and if I listen very closely, I can hear her heart starting to beat,
thrum, thrum, thrum, thrum,
thrum, thrum, thrum, thrum

There's a bluebird in my heart and she's looking so much more chipper that I've decided to give her something to eat, for starters just a few seeds...

There's a bluebird in my heart and now I realize that I need to feed this bluebird every single day, no matter what

There's a bluebird in my heart but the world is such a scary place she's not sure she can face it

There's a bluebird in my heart and I've got to keep telling her to have the courage to just sit there and sing as loud as she wants to

There's a bluebird in my heart and she's starting to teach me new songs

There's a bluebird in my heart and when I'm listening to her sing I feel like I could write the longest poem in the world, one that would just keep on going, even when the two of us are asleep

There's a bluebird in my heart and when I am writing down her lyrics I have no fear and I know that the world will laugh and applaud even if they never hear our words

There's a bluebird in my heart and now she's even teaching me to fly!

There's a bluebird in my heart and she's showing me that I always have a place here, writing, and that I even have the courage to start carrying my words on my wings.

(Stay tuned for more Bluebird poems, as soon as my students email them to me.)


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