The Bird Lady, by Valerie Volk

The Bird Lady, by John Brack (Australia) 1958.

The Bird Lady  

Feather soft, the birds land on her head, her hands,
hands stretched in supplication, waiting their caress.
Her face turns blindly to them, eager and expectant,
waiting for that moment of connection.
 
In a life where no one touches her,
her parched flesh slowly dies, in the aridity of age.
Where is life-giving touch? she grieves.
She has known so well that intimacy
that brings with it both feeling and regeneration.
But now in age who touches her?
No one, and so each day she waits …
waits for the birds.
 
Feather soft, the birds land on her head, her hands,
outstretched in supplication, waiting their caress.
Her face turns blindly to them; sightless eyes are dim with gratitude,
for this at least gives her a moment of connection.

Valerie Volk

Valerie Volk has been writing all her life and in the last ten years has published nine books, mainly verse novels and poetry collections, as well as over a hundred poems in Australian journals such as Poetrix, Studio, Polestar, Tamba, and the USA Red River Review. She is a passionate traveller, resulting in the publication of several of her ‘poem a day’ collections (yes, she really does write poem each day when travelling!) from Europe, Asia, and South America. One of her most cherished memories is riding a camel in in Mongolia’s sub-zero winter snow. Please visit her web site  www.valerievolk.com.au