jethro’s daughter: “i had me an old lungbird”

by Allister Nelson

I had me an old lungbird that

sang deep down in the mines.

With a coffin for a dollar,

I laid down and died.

My old bleeding lungbird

carried moss to my bed.

Made a nest of moonshine,

and tucked me into death.

The mineshaft glimmered,

diamonds and coal. Lungbird,

oh lungbird, salvage my bones!

Sing of heartbreak, an Icarus Girl

who fell.

And churned,

and burned.

And little fancy lungbird?

Fly on as I

could not.

Far away from earthen bowels.

Into moonlight and stars,

gloaming like dust-knit.

Carry on.

Carry on!

*Stay tuned for Allister Nelson’s next installment of Jethro’s Daughter next week.