Laurel Snyder – Despite She Is Small

Laurel Snyder

Despite She Is Small

The sky has a blackbird. The field has a girl. The sky is to the field as The field is to the sky, only Backwards.  White is To the blackbird as fear Is to the girl, despite She is small and alone. The bird has a wing in the wind, a face to the sky and a shadow on the girl. Now there is a boy in the field, too.  Now the girl says she would like to hold the blackbird. “Free is not the same as clean” says the boy, “or safe and anyway, the blackbird would not want to be held.” The bird beats its wings. The girl does not hold the boy. The sky creaks. The girl says, “I live in this World,” and means it, But still—she is small In the field and beneath The sky and the path Of the blackbird.  “I live In this,” says the girl. “Alone,” says the girl. (Things become quieter) (the boy decides to go home) “—No matter what you may do with your life,” says the girl.