A Heart of Words

The words were small enough.
They could tuck into a heart,
like a finch.
Newborn to the nest.

As quietly as they were spoken,
like the finch they were ravenous from the start.
Crying "Feed me feed me."
A steady thump thump, the heart consumed them.

The light.
They were only visible for a moment,
once read though memory could touch them in the dark.
They refused to live and they refused to die.
Thump thump, thump thump.

That sacred muscle-the heart.
Savored each of them...
words.
As though they could nourish him.
As though they could nourish her.

No

Instead of feeding them...
they were hunger themselves.
They fed on it;
the heart.

Once read they began consuming their host.
A little morsel here,
A little morsel there.
Not too much.
Save some for tomorrow.

They were small enough.
They didn't eat much.
They could tuck in like a finch to the nest, downy... warm.
The words born of a new day.

Reviews

[Ken e Bujold]

A true poet's take on finchs. Loved my first read of your work Rusty, will definitely be dropping by for more words

ken

[Red Brick Keshner]

Intricate and delicate, like watching the movement of a timepiece's tiny parts. And the soul of this poem is larger that what can be seen in one glance. Thanks for sharing, Rusty.

[Robert Haigh]

An inventive and thought-provoking poem! Words can nourish or they can ravage. We should think before we utter any words. Once said, they can never be taken back.

[Rusty]

Thank you.

I haven’t visited this site for ages.

Glad to see someone here!

[charlie]

"The words were small enough.
They could tuck into a heart,
like a finch.
Newborn to the nest. "

This is a very beautiful and quaint verse. It's as if it could be its own poem.