Cardinals

Proper Noun

Flighted animal

Rather, a bird.

Or perhaps an adjective

Red in plumage

Still mainly a noun,

But to males only.

Red, too, are the males who are

Princes of the church

Second only to the pope.

Denoted both a color and a bird and a prince,

Little known is the cloak of

A Scarlett riding hood.

She, too, wore a cardinal

Like many secret mistresses

Of churchly princes.

A short cloak of little grace

Or coverage to lusty parts.

Interestingly enough,

It is an adjective yet again

Of prime importance

Chief and significant,

Denoting true direction.

 

When my granny died,

The cardinals flocked to me.

Showing every true path,

They nestled in the boughs

Outside my windows,

Crossed my path at every turn,

Dipped to sip the dew at my feet,

And lodged in the eaves

Of every residence.

 When my sisters left,

They took the birds with them.

My spirit flew away.

And red bled out of the world

In a great wound, unchecked.

The boughs of leafless trees

Became nothing more

Than wrinkles in a grey sky

Without a blush of hope.

And my compass spins

Undirected, madly in flight.

I am naked, uncloaked,

Weary and birdless.

Reviews

[Michelle Stinson]

Yes, the " is a typo - fixed it :) but the "a" is not. In this case the word cardinal is the name of the type of garment, and just as you would say he wore a pair of pants, she wore a cardinal.

[Shimmerbliss/CAF]

I love the way you don't let go of the title word and keep examining it. The poem seems to come out of that study and bring you the images that make this poem so good. It starts out about a word and then follows the deep right brain of association taking it all the way from bird into male/female gender stereotypes, pain of loss, death and loneliness. I have often done that with words, but never able to come up with something like this.

"Dipped to sip the dew at my feet" beautiful imagery

Can you tell, I'm really studying this poem? That is a compliment and it's good enough to spend some time on. In going over and over it, I wonder if it could be two poems, each one standing alone...just a thought.

Just one technical tweak if you find merit in it
She, too, wore a cardinal "
perhaps omit the "a" and I think the quotation is a typo
What does that say of what I think If that's the only criticism?!