Fateless
Lonely bird
Wings imprint on the pavement
Gravel in her beak
Stones can fill an empty belly
But these bones were meant for flight
Sitting on the window ledge
Fingerprints identifying a stress ball
Staring at the sky
She knows meds can't grow wings
Still she hopes to try
Words like pebbles at the dinner table
Grinding their way up her tired throat
Crunching against her teeth
Tasteless paste she spits out each night
Painting the plate placed before her
She assures her friends that she is fine
And they believe her
No one wants a heavy stone
Not even one with the bones of a bird
And the eyes of a ghost
Lonely birds dance on wires
And string gems around their throats
Tighter tighter they sing
Pearls digging into vocal chords
Tighter tighter
Step over the pavement
No matter the height
Stones have filled her empty belly
But her bones were meant for flight