Thunderclap!
Sitting before screen, closed eyes,
meditative posture, aware that
when I settled to reflect upon saints,
mystics, points of contact, similarity,
differences, I was not expecting
this answer because when
settled in office chair,
all was calm, sunny,
beguiled within the day.
Small grey-brown bird
of unknown species, one
type populating cities around
the world, besides whom most
people walk with indifference,
stood its ground when I appeared
on my morning round.
Even as I drew close,
desiring to record unusual phenomenon,
bird was totally focussed on task,
productive as poet with deadline.
Normal birds sense possible predator,
jump to branch where unreachable
to all but determined climbing creature;
this one didn’t care.
Maybe a fellow meditator,
learning to stay with experience,
in the moment. When done,
flying up, soft awakening,
storm-stirring, routine reminding
how I, too, drift through
days, months responding
thoughtless, until
thunderclap.
© Phil Kemp, 2026
