Mia Sato Talks You Bird You Rabbit

[vc_row][vc_column][image_frame url="79307" border_style="circle-frame" animation="fade-in"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/3"][vc_column_text]You bird—     grabbed from     your wasteland—do not struggle.     Hold your     breath asyou’re clenched by thecanine down the dirt roadhome, limp from all yourtraditions. I’ll see you     here at the     cusp, wings     wet from     prayer &     apology,     where I’llwait for that hound wind topush you from the cold.    Fall back,    straight to my     front door,where the porch lightblinks for your    homecoming.You rabbit—heaved onto mywelcome mat,     shame     full blood     and all.That pawing on thescreen door calling me.     You panting     & I muzzled.Drag yourself home. I’ll stay     up for your     bark and your bird,     your rabbit.          You          bird, you          rabbit, you rabbit.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width="2/3"][vc_empty_space][title type="h2" align="center" color="#5e5e5e"]My poem started with the title phrase, "you bird, you rabbit." I'm not sure what inspired it, but for days I had this phrase floating around in my head but no concept for its use.[/title][vc_single_image image="79320" img_size="full" css=".vc_custom_1443367623688{margin-bottom: -250px !important;margin-left: 250px !important;padding-top: -50px !important;}"][vc_single_image image="79322" img_size="large" alignment="center" css=".vc_custom_1443376278167{margin-top: -250px !important;margin-right: -400px !important;margin-bottom: -250px !important;margin-left: -300px !important;}"][vc_row_inner css=".vc_custom_1443394101431{margin-top: -250px !important;margin-bottom: 50px !important;}"][vc_column_inner width="1/3"][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width="2/3"][title type="h2" align="center" color="#5e5e5e"]I often hold on to single lines or images or even words that I know I would like to use in a poem, but I don't know how to. [/title][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner css=".vc_custom_1443394345689{margin-top: 32px !important;margin-bottom: 75px !important;}"][vc_column_inner][title type="h2" align="center" color="#5e5e5e"]When I sat down to write something using it, it evolved into the image of a bird or a rabbit that had been caught by a dog and dropped on a front door or porch. There's a lot of vulnerability in that image and once I had identified that and found a way to relate it to something bigger, the rest of the poem took shape.[/title][vc_empty_space][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner css=".vc_custom_1443394482415{margin-top: -50px !important;}"][vc_column_inner][vc_single_image image="79324" img_size="full"][vc_empty_space][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner css=".vc_custom_1443393479047{margin-top: -75px !important;}"][vc_column_inner][title type="h2" align="center" color="#5e5e5e"]I write when I feel like I'm able to, which comes irregularly and sort of infrequently. I don't accomplish much if I'm forcing myself to produce something. I think first drafts are our most honest ones-- I try my best to stay true to my instincts and keep as much of the first draft as I can, maybe just reword a few things or restructure the lines and breaks.[/title][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/3"][vc_empty_space height="50px"][title type="h2" align="center" color="#5e5e5e"]I do think there are fundamentally human experiences that many people can relate to: joy, heartbreak, loss, etc. With this piece, I think I was trying to accomplish a peace of mind for myself and an acceptance of human imperfections and slip ups. Perhaps readers can glean that and relate.[/title][/vc_column][vc_column width="2/3"][vc_single_image image="79326" img_size="full"][/vc_column][/vc_row]