Hummingbird: Ritual

A slight hovering at the corner of my vision
a whir of wings almost invisible
as sunlight shimmers over iridescent feathers.

I stand, hose in hand, a momentary fountain
still as stone

a Grecian statue

as you dance through the mist
retreat and return again
and again.

tropical as the orchids
you will seek far south

returning to them faithfully

and just as faithfully
you will find me here
in the spring
awaiting your arrival

as though I never left the spot
never rode your fearless wings
in my dreams

never doubted your return.


by Jadene Stevens

Jadene is the founder of the Salt Wind Poets and lives on Cape Cod, Massachusetts.