February Poetry Corner

Tree Sparrow

What? an English sparrow sing?

Insignificant brown thing,

So common and so bold, 'twould surely bring

Tears of laughter to the eyes

Of the superficial wise

To suggest that that small immigrant could sing.

'Twas the bleakest wintry day,

Earth, sky, water, all were gray,

Of the universe old Boreas seemed king,

As he swept across the lake,

But his empire was at stake,

When that little English sparrow dared to sing.

Not a friend on earth had I,

No horizon to my sky,

No faith that there could be another spring

Cold the world as that gray wall

Of the Auditorium tall

Where I heard that little English sparrow sing.

On the shelving of one stone

He was cuddling all alone;

Oh, the little feet knew bravely how to cling!

As from out the tuneful throat

Came the sweetest, springlike note,

And I truly heard an English sparrow sing.

You may talk for all your days

In the thrush and bluebirds' praise

And all your other harbingers of spring,

But I've never heard a song

Whose echoes I'd prolong

Like that I heard that English sparrow sing.

Oh, my heart's a phonograph

That will register each laugh

And all happy sounds that from the joy-bells ring,

So if cloudy days should come,

In my hours of darkest gloom

I'm sure I'll hear that English sparrow sing.

Even A Sparrow

Painting by Greg Oleson

"Did You Ever Hear An English Sparrow Sing?"

A poem by Bertha Johnston