Atop the Terebinth Tree

by Helen Bar-Lev

The blackbird sat

atop the terebinth tree

a full afternoon moon

as backdrop

its song as sweet

as the cherries

on the tree beneath it

The next day its body lay

at the foot of the terebinth

perfectly black

the cats

hadn’t even touched it

Lucky bird

a song its last breath

unaware, unafraid

of death

* * * * *

© 5.2017 Helen Bar-Lev (both text and photo)

Helen Bar-Lev was born in New York in 1942. www.helenbarlev.com  She holds a B.A. in Anthropology, has lived in Israel for 46 years and has had over 90 exhibitions of her landscape paintings, 34 of which were one-woman shows. Her poems and artwork have appeared in numerous online and print anthologies. Six poetry collections, all illustrated by Helen. She is the Amy Kitchener senior poet laureate. Helen was nominated for the Pushcart Prize in 2013 and is the recipient of the Homer European Medal for Poetry and Art. Helen is Assistant to the President of Voices Israel. She lives in Metulla, Israel.