L ate night
eh bird
surrounded by your darkness
and just can’t sleep
out on the peck
moon lit and cobble stoned
again
feelin’ blue
watcha’ seekin’
curious bird
your lost soul
the reason why
perhaps another chance
maybe — time enough
or jus’a beakful
o’forgiveness
*
rob kistner © 2021
Poetry at: Sunday Muse
Poetry at: dVerse
This following video is Joni Mitchel, with guitarist Pat Metheny, the extraordinary bassist Jaco Pastorius, Lyle Mays on keyboards, Michael Brecker on sax, and Don Alias on drums. Genuflect and bow your head — one of the great touring bands of all times… look & listen!
Nice one Rob, could it be that bird is simply looking for night worm. Happiest of Sundays
Much????love
…or an midnight ant perhaps Gillena… 🙂
A blue bird on the peck, I love that! He does look lonely and blue doesn’t he? As always a pleasure to read your poetry Rob!
Poor thing looks on a skid! Thank you Carrie… 🙂
Love this! I can hear, almost hear the music, too.
Thank you Chrissa… 🙂
Ultimately, we all look for a beak-ful of forgiveness, don’t we?
Certainly fo Bev, at times… 🙂
The the conversational tone …. guessing it’s forgiveness. Cheers.
Probably Helen…!
Love this! The bird does look so thoughtful and contemplative and you’ve captured that so well.
Thank you
Clever wordplay, Rob. It feels like the jargon of a blues player, and your title and song choice suggest I’m right. I hope blue bird finds what he needs and sings a duet with a rockin’ robin.
🙂 here’s t’dat Lisa…!
“cobble stoned / again” – fantastic.
😉 Thank ya’ Q…
LOL
🙂
We could all use a beak full of forgiveness. Smiles. Nicely done, Rob.
Thsnk you Sherry… 🙂
Poor little bird, searching for a bit of forgiveness or maybe, just a reason why, the blues have set in…I’ve been blue most of the week, I blame it on the full moon.
Eh, Little bird out on your own
why does the night make your heart moan
I heard there’s a little club a few trees down
they sing to the beat of bluesy sound….
ha – not sure where that came from….
I like it True! 🙂
I am curious to know more of this bird’s story…
Ya’ know birds — usually tight-beaked when it comes to the real story.
Maybe the bird is a thieving magpie… asking for forgiveness
Could be, or just like the rest of us Bjorn, there are so many things to be sorry for, the poor bird just wants general absolution! 🙂
Love that poet called Joni Mitchell, always.
The visuals evoked in this piece are so powerful, Rob. Love it.
Thank you De! Love me m’Joni too — since first heard her sing in the 70’s, and started readin’ her lyrics!
Wow, Rob… that’s one intense bird. Almost scares me…
<3
David
Some one deep in the “blues” can be intense to encounter David.
I like all the metaphors your pulled into this one Rob. And all he gets is a beak-full of forgiveness!
Well, he’s been a real ‘character’ Dwight, so that’s better’n nothin’… 😉
Oooh, an earful of my favorite Joni to listen to while I’m reading one of my favorite poets. Nice work, Rob.
Now I gotta go listen to Beatles: Blackbird singin in the dead of night…
Thanks Ron. OK, ya’ talked me into it. I’m addin’ blackbird to the playlist. You are very clever sir!
“Everybody must get cobblestoned”–uh-huh. That image is killer, and your quadrille is even more so. But is this a blue bird full of blackness, or a blackbird with the blues? Joni uses the blackbird many times in her lyrics.
Thank you Glenn. Joni loves her blackbird’s — and thay think this poor bird is a little of both.
I love the language, the tone, everything.
Thank you so much Rosemary… 🙂
Everyone needs a beakful of forgiveness!
Yes, we surely do at times, Bev!
“out on the peck
moon lit and cobble stoned
again”
brilliant lines! So relatable and that beakful o’forgiveness is a prize to find!
Thsnk you so much Tricia… 🙂
Nice one, Rob.
That bird is as likely to find answers or forgiveness there as anywhere.
Fon’tknow how hard it’s really tryin’? 😉
Got the black and blues. Gonna grab me another beak-full of forgiveness and look down into the glass for a moon.
https://youtu.be/bJuDD93JbOw
I hear ya’ Charley… 🙂
I love that last 2 lines Rob. Have a good night.
Thank you Grace… 🙂
I love this. You have to wonder what the bird thinks, after all. It makes me think back to late at night, maybe four AM or three I don’t know, and I hear the birds chirping a little. It’s pleasant, but I think maybe they have too much on their minds.
Then again, there was a rooster down the road where I live that cock-a-doodle-doos at four PM. I’m thinking the curiosity is killing them.
This also reminds me of staring in the dark late at night and thinking all those thoughts, reflecting about the past. Never really thought about animals doing that too, but it makes sense. Beautifully, beautifully written, Rob. It’s amazing and thoughtful.
Thank you Lucy, so much. Those same thoughts go through my mind. I spent over two decades as a night bird singing my R&B and rock in clubs ‘til way after midnight, then after the band getting off, early AM into the streets seekin’ breakfast, release, or some warm body of forgiveness — so this piece was in large part autobiographical memories of the feelin’ of those years.
Well, you got me with this one, Rob! I love the direct address and conversational tone, the bird ‘out on the peck’ – yeah, I’ve been ‘moon lit and cobble stoned’. Birds and the colour blue are both curious, but then, that’s the best way to be. Thank you for Joni – always.
Thank you Kim! Yes, always .Joni… 🙂 !
Super clever.
I love all the words you’ve played with, which provide the unique character of this piece.
A beakful of forgiveness is a poignant image to close on.
Thank you so much Darius… 🙂
Your blue bird obviously has some history. Thank you Rob – it is great to read.
Thank you Marion… 🙂
I read myself as the bird and my current quest for the beakful of forgiveness.
I think we all need a bit of forgiveness Paul… 🙂
rob, the first thing that hit me when i saw that image was all the blue, i see that hit you too. enjoyed the read
Thank you Phillip… 🙂
perhaps looking for a midnight snack? but this is beautifully emotive as well, Rob.
Perhaps? Thank you RoseMarie… 🙂
So much fun in the dialect!
Love the beakful of forgiveness!!
That bird’s had a tough life Ren… 😉
Goodness, I love the poem “or jus’a beakful o’forgiveness” Sometimes that is all we need. I also love the music you chose. Perfect pairing.
Thank you Susie! Yes, we all need forgiveness time to time…