The Brown Vest

A robin's nest being towed on the sidewalk.
Somewhere, a complement to his brown vest.
He is more lively than before.
In the future we must take him away from the sidewalk
and lend him the joy he expects.
Use earth colors, they build strong nests.
He combs his throat then locks the chapel
Of the Goddess in his home.




From The Collected Poems of Barbara Guest. Copyright 2008 The Estate of Barbara Guest. All rights reserved. Reprinted with the permission of Wesleyan University Press.