Another "Pigeon Pie"

Another "Pigeon Pie"

I lift my arms,
tilt my chin skyward,

as if to drape these fields
of blue afternoon shadows
about my shoulders -

open my palms,
fingertips outstretched

toward the kaleidoscope of trees
bursting with migration's song -
try to absorb their pulse.

Not to hoard,
but teach others

of nature's indispensability
"for the heart that gives,
gathers" -

but I fear
this slice of fulfillment

may soon become another pigeon pie
devoured by bulldozers, served up as the
"American Dream".  White picket fence, optional.

by Margaret Bednar, November 3, 2013  


This is for "Imaginary Garden with Real Toads - A Birthday in November - Marianne Moore"  She believed meter, or anything else that claims the exclusive title "poetry" is not as important as delight in language and precise, heartfelt expression in any form.  She believed it a poets artistic right to also tackle the sometimes ugly, uncomfortable or harsh realities of the human condition.  To read more about her, follow the above link.

I was unable to meet (nor did I really understand) the "line syllables" aspect of Ms. Moore's writing - I  read a number of her poems and couldn't see a pattern of such - but what do I know.

Our challenge was to find an idyllic setting that would become the backdrop for our "imaginary garden"  and produce a "real toad" into the piece.   It should raise a very realistic social issue.

I must tell you, I really struggled with this challenge.  Thanks, Kerry, for making me step out of my comfort zone as I don't usually write from this viewpoint.

The quote in my above poem "for the heart that gives, gathers" is from Marianne Moore.

NOTE:  The Passenger Pigeon once filled the skies, houses replaced habitats, and people killed the birds en masse, baked them in pigeon pies - and finally these birds became extinct.  

The last passenger pigeon, Martha, is mounted and preserved at the Smithsonian.  HERE is a link that will tell you a little about her story.

I stand guilty, as we moved our family to a rural development complete with tennis courts, clubhouse and pool.  Head one way, we are "in town", the other, we are driving winding roads amongst fields, horses, cows, hills.    New communities are starting up in these very areas we adore and we don't like it one bit…