Sharon Lowe
You can’t save them all,
no matter how bright your light
or clear your call,
but that is no reason not to try.
Consider the parrot—
once known among religious
as a mediator of the sacred,
friend and symbol of the Virgin Mary.
Today, the parrot is perceived as frivolous,
looked to for comic relief
or confined to stunt shows and tiki rooms
where it serves as décor for pink drinks and pineapples
and is forced to beg for crackers whether named Polly or not.
I wonder how the parrot landed in this space of limited imagination
and restricted perception.
Were they told to accept it and get back in their cage?
Or did the parrot realize that its truth and beauty could
find a larger audience at SeaWorld?
Regardless, you need not pity the parrot,
as they, unlike us,
know their worth does not depend on station,
accomplishment,
or the opinion of others.
Maybe they can still save us.
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