I am afraid
she cannot save me
but watch how the birds
gather her in circles
she knows something I do not
or why would she hold her chin that way
while I am hunched"
in the forest eating my stale crumbs
I tell her to hold me
and she does
but only a little
and not crying like I need
it is only us and the dirt
between rings and rings of trees
I choose one rock for a pair of birds
and when I feed her the meat she smiles
unable to kill the beauty herself
I know how hungry we are
so I speak and she moves until the birds
gather us again in circles
— Amy Leigh Cutler