Monday 28 August 2017

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.




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