The aviary within

I slip into your hut
and salvage bones, a soul,
the core architecture of living cells.
Feathers, if they fall my way, are a blessing—
I press them softly against my chest.
Thus, bit by bit,
a sanctuary of birds has flourished within me.
Behold—cuckoos, parrots, kingfishers, egrets,
and the long-billed hoopoe—
that timeless envoy of history.
I tend to them, unfailingly, twice a day.
At times, I read them from Tolstoy.
Delighted, they break into songs of shifting seasons.
Listen—my urge toward self-destruction has ebbed.
My steady self has finally found its way
as I earn my keep bartering wind—
and sustain myself on the invisible.

Dr Shiblee Shahed is a public health specialist, essayist, poet, and translator. His debut poetry collection was published in 2013 by Shuddhashar Publications. His poems and articles have appeared in numerous national and international outlets. He is a regular contributor to The Daily Star.