believers
the maple tree tops are church after mass
starlings like kids squealing, their bodies frantic with movement
sparrow mothers planning lunch menus, and lazy hours after dishes
feather & fur believers basking in the bliss of communal connection
everything sings
squirrels scamper & scoot
bluejays pull the soft wind on their pointy tails
robins are robust in belly and bellow
leaves quake with the busyness of devotion
the sky is scripture
VANESSA SHIELDS, writer 