HOUSE SPARROW UNDER AN APPLE TREE

that bears no fruit
nibbles on a tuft of clover
defying the heavily packed pebbled path

micro movements of a small beak
a slight turn for something more
a bit of dried grass plucked

sparrow hops with the crusted blade
drops it, pecks at some stones,
slinks towards a large twig

not what its looking for–
to the left, a pocket of pollen is pulled
from its emerald stem

sparrow lets the puff go
hops and flutters
in delight
catches floating seed
lets it go again
hops and flutters
catches it
lets it go

and the joy
is greeted by the loss

in not noticing
how the house sparrows play
in the hot July breeze
in the hashtagged shade
of a barren and dying apple tree

Shannon Lintott’s poems have been featured in the Literary Review of Canada, Pinhole Poetry, Great Lakes Review, Phylum Press, NōD Magazine, the Stanzaic Journal and the Power of Words Exhibit at Arts Etobicoke. Shannon was a mentee for the Diaspora Dialogues Short-form and Arc Poet-in-Residence mentorship programs and are part of the Forever Writers Club, the Mangrove Collective and River Street Reads. They live in Toronto.