Chapter 1

Shower tears flow down
A pathetic fallacy
For sorrow and love.

Naked, Nessa flew
Fear followed feathered fall
Held in hands: healing
-Ashley

Nessa is about to step into the shower when she hears a loud clunk, which she determines came from something hitting the bathroom window. She opens the window and peers out. There on the ground below is a small songbird, evidently stunned. Without thinking, Nessa hurries outside, not bothering to put on a robe or drape a towel around herself. She picks up the bird. It is warm and light. And so still. But maybe, just maybe, she can feel the beating of its heart. And then the beak opens. It looks to Nessa as if the bird is gasping for breath. Almost as if mimicking the creature, Nessa sniffles, and a moment later a tear falls from her cheek and lands on the bird’s breast.