Poetry Marathon, prompt #2

Prompt #2: Recipe for a non-food item

1. Four and twenty birds…

not only rusty blackbirds, but blue

jays and cardinals and goldfinches

the small house finch with his cherry

hood, the cocksure mocker with his flick

of tail.

2. Next grate the lemon fragrance of four

’o’clocks, magenta blossoms, silvery

perfume. Infuse the morning light below

before combining with birds.

3. Gild thickly with infused sunlight

as light as the clear post-dawn air.

Incorporate birds, sunlight, and fragrance

gently, so that birds still flutter then perch.

4. Sprinkle heavily with the stolen songs

of crow and raven, covered by mockingbird.

Let notes sift between birds, while mixture thickens.

Admixture should be cool and slightly sweet.

5. Finally, spritz lightly with the sound of birds

bathing, four fledgling starlings clustered in a bowl

of cool water. Once done, allow recipe to bloom

in the bowl of morning. Balance done in minutes.