the word of a bird is a thing to follow – charlotte mew

bring down the stories
the stories bring them down

read to me tales of musical fall
of purple rivers &
nymphs rowing south 

read to me a story of utopia—
the old gnarled oak plucks stars
nestles them like children

                                    bring down the stories
                                                the stories bring them down

read to me leather bound discoveries
mother i tell you i know
they languish on the highest shelf
they are trapped inside the closet

mother you put them there
i saw you put them there

my daughter there is no book
there is no book my love

                                     bring down the stories
                                                the stories bring them down

M.A. Durand (they/them/their), is a non-binary, biracial poet with an MFA from Antioch University.Their work has appeared in Writer’s Resist publications.