"That Bird" by by Luke Knutson - Contest

That Bird

by Luke Knutson

I look at the sparrow, its

brown wings snuggled

beak opening only for the occasional chirp

sitting plainly on the dying autumn tree above me

and think

“damn,

that bird

doesn’t need to worry about the SAT

or its significant other

or its social status

or its parents

or its weight

or its grades

or its clubs

or its face”.

And I

keep on walking.

The coming winter

I see

that bird

on the ground,

still.

dead of hypothermia.