Small jade bird perches on a wooden shelf
in bright, fashionable Hong Kong art factory.
The bird accompanies me back to Tampa,
the perfect gift for my brother and his new wife.
Two years later, my brother's wife
takes the bird to Brandon as her own
during the divorce.
Two years later, my brother's ex-wife's new husband
inherits the bird when his wife dies
in the hospital from icky-poo.
How far she's flown, this little jade bird!
How many more families will she deign to visit
before reaching her destination?
Copyright 1995 by Frank Brown