We have birds in our mouths, they’re born from our throats
And lay eggs in the nests of our heads
They fly through our lungs, looking for hearts,
But often find stomachs instead
The birds in our mouths would love to fly
To be seen by the world at large
But the birds from some mouths have farther to fly
To flit above birds in charge
The birds in charge tend to be bright
To burst forth and fly about
They swoop amongst treetops, sit in the light
It’s hard to miss them shout
Some smaller birds, though equally fair
Are difficult to hear in a crowd
The birds in charge might not quite know it
But their calls are incredibly loud
Some birds are quite shy, and when given the chance
Tend not to leave their keep
They hesitate on the tips of tongues
But can’t quite make the leap
They hop back behind the molars
And often feel the shame
That comes with not quite figuring out how
To join the other birds’ game
There are birds that skulk like vultures
Waiting patiently for prey
They perch on shoulders and peck at cheeks
And often for years they’ll stay
They murmur their calls in our ears
And cover our eyes with their wings
Its difficult to make out the other birds
Over their shouts and whispers and things
The birds of some people soar straight to our hearts
They make nests in the smalls of our backs
Their wings could lift us off the ground
And their calls could fill up our cracks
When your birds fly from the back of your throat
They perch lightly on my nose
Their feathers are soft as their wings stroke my cheeks
Time quickens and then it slows
Your birds found a way through the cage of my ribs
They explored my dark insides
It was cold down there but they did not mind
They brought light where it had been denied
They silenced my birds that squawk in my head
They put them quietly to bed
Where once was harsh, jarring tones
There is now soft singing instead
My birds quite like sharing space with yours
And I didn’t find them intrusive
The vultures that sat on my shoulders once
Seemed to become less abusive
My birds found strength in the kindness of yours
And soared quite far, and proudly
I realised for once, it seemed my birds
Were actually singing quite loudly
But birds are just words and words are not things
They do not come to stay
Your birds and your words were warming at first
But then they flew away
