Green Bird-Short Love Story

Green Bird

There; that green bird again.

I have no idea what name it called.

I think it must be a wandering spirit.

It sure make a racket some days.

The dog, him cock head to one side whenever bird start to sing.

I’m sure him understand.

Marisa call him parakeet. I don’t know.

Marisa must know something. She been educated.

Marisa joggling the baby on her knee.

Him got his Daddies eye, she say.

Eyes kinda wide and wandering.

When Marisa come, she say, Aunty I stay a while, need to get away.

She carry imprint of fist, ring cut below her eye.

She been turned inside out, she say.

Marisa say, that man drink. I say, girl all kind of man getting 

high. Why you gotta pick one swing his fist?

She don’t know. I know why.

We don’t talk much about Marisa’s man. She got a heap of trouble 

without him. He down in dirty town doing his dirty thing.

Marisa say, she don’t want to know. He come one day, fetch her 

home.

I say, best forget.

She don’t forget. She say, baby ain’t weaned yet.

I say baby is good. You gotta put that man outta your mind.

Marisa don’t listen. She cry. She say, voices inside head, too much 

to listen to.

I say, girl don’t get crazy on me. You got a baby to love.

She say, Aunty I don’t know what’s good anymore. They taught me plenty at school, but it don’t help none.

I say, girl fetch me down the book of Jesus and we’ll read him 

Word.She say, Aunty you a blessing, but Word is good only for church.I say not just church, everything begin and end with Word.We is holding hands to sing hymn. She sing kinda low.

I say, girl this is way to mend broken heart.

She kiss baby and grin. Tears, wet smiles. Sing.

That green bird him got a sweet song, high and tender.

Him sit on the highest branch of the tallest tree, where him don’t be seen. Ain’t a bird yet close about can touch it, and none of them slinky cats gonna catch it lying low.

Stars are shining bright. Listening for night sounds, yet that bird him never let up.

Marisa say, what he gotta sing for? Him drive a body crazy.

She ain’t been easy all day.

Marisa say, Aunty mind the baby.

She go wash her body, twist hair before mirror, spray perfume into her bosom.Where you go girl? I say.

She say, I go find man. I been here three-four day, and him don’t come. If he gotta new woman, I go remind him he got child.Go careful girl, I say. Man like that got stone for heart, got no connection with thing we know.

Aunty, I’m gonna connect, she say. I’m gonna find thing him hide and twist ‘til he squeal.

Marisa, she laugh, and that green bird him know he got company.Dog bark, bird fly, baby cry.

She say, Aunty why you no marry?

I say, no man ask.

She say, a sorry day it was you had no baby your own.

Plenty babies, I say. Plenty girl like you come.

Girl laugh, swing arm as she slip into dark.

She got strong body, mind made whole.

She gonna hurt that man good.

Quiet company. Dog curled at feet beneath starry sky.

Baby sleep, Aunty keeping company. Green bird flown.