The Hummingbird

Poem By Jone Rush MacCulloch

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I’m standing at the sink peeling
a ribbon of red apple skin.
Daughter’s coming home today,
asking for my apple crisp.  
Outside the window, squirrels scamper, 
hiding their nuts for winter.
Thud! A hummingbird.
Grabbing a towel, I rush outside.
You’re gonna be okay. "
Once when she was young, 
she crashed her skateboard.
I bundled a blanket around her small body.
I swaddle the bird and carry her
to the last of the salvia blossoms.
The air hushes around my tiny cargo.    
Are you okay? I hold my breath.
In a blink she was back on her board,
flying down the street.
The hummingbird shudders and flies away.  
She’s coming home today.
You’re gonna be okay.

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Jone Rush MacCulloch inspires minds young and old with her poetry, photography, and art. Her poems, photography, and art have been published online and in several journals, including The Silver Birch Press, The Poeming Pigeon, and The Southern Arizona Press. Jone lives in Oregon. The changing seasons and skies are her muses. To learn more about Jone, visit jonerushmacculloch.com