Up ahead, on the sidewalk
I catch a glimpse of a shiny, glittery red object
as I near it, I see it’s a red candy wrapper
aluminum overlaid with red cellophane
with a print of a red strawberry
Next to the wrapper
a red robin looks up at me
her beak stuffed with nest building crafts
a few twigs, some thrush, a dried worm
and one glittery string of Christmas tinsel
packed to the hilt, yet she is eyeing the wrapper
Artist to artist, I understand her dilemma
gathering more than we need, but still wanting
She flies off, and I continue my walk
but know for fact, that on the way back
the wrapper will no longer be there
Waring, an art teacher at the Westerhoff School, also conducts art workshops at the Princeton Arts Council. In the past three years she has been compiling a book of poetry inspired by her classes with Jean Hollander in Princeton.
