I have just learned that the wood thrush,
a bird that lives 2,000 miles east of its western
cousins near me, possesses two sets of vocal cords,
each in its own tiny chamber in the throat,
allowing it to sing two distinct notes at once,
a one-bird duet that some have called
the voice of God. I am immediately
envious of these syrinxes, the double voice
boxes tucked into the trachea.
Not only do I want to fly to where
these birds live and sing, to stand
beneath them and listen, I also long
for my own second voice box so I can
harmonize with myself—not unlike
the days when I’d nudge my little sister
into singing her tenor part of a barbershop
tag that our parents had taught us,
sometimes joined by the lower registers
of the pair who made us, but often
simply our two high-pitched girl voices
trying to ring chords that these
little birds with spotted chests
produce all by themselves.
As we must do, we two progeny,
now that those who made us have flown
into mystery, where we hope that they are
—please, God—
singing in harmony once again.
•••
(with thanks to Carrie Newcomer and James Crews for the prompt)
Güd wrtr 
Dear Jan –
Thanks for this wonderful ode to music in our families and lives. I don’t often write to thank you but often print out your poems and photos to share with others and reread myself. I feel close to you though we live miles apart.
Would love to know what the prompt was from Carrie and James on the 14th. I subscribe to James’s weekly pause and have written with him before. Was set to subscribe to the Monthly but the little voice I trust wondered about the wisdom for me of $40 a pop! My life is full of prompts – from my AWA Memoiristas Group, my local in-person AWA Writing Circle, the AWA Caregivers group. AWA WAW, from the poets I follow and Ethical ELA, as well as the prompts that come from each day’s living. Still I delight in hearing what prompts others and love that you share your world in your blog’s poems.
Hope to get back to the US this fall after my husband’s third hip surgery. Don’t know that I’ll make it very far from Rhode Island, but would love to meet you and possibly connect you with my sister who lives in Sea Ranch and Berkeley.
Many thanks for considering my request!
Martha
Martha K.S. Patrick Gümüşlük, Muğla, Turkiye Pawtucket, Rhode Island, USA
*Gönülden gönüle yol** vardır. *Turkish Proverb From one heart to another there is a path.
Hi, Martha!
Thanks for your kind comments. I’m delighted to know that you print the poems and photos.
The prompt from James after talking to Carrie was not about the wood thrush… though she mentioned it just as she began talking to James. That’s what gave me the idea—when she talked about the bird with two voice boxes. I can send you the prompt via email, though. Write to me at janishaag@gmail.com.