For Donna Forbes, on her 90th birthday
Like watching a bird fly backward
Learning to see is lonely,
A folded corner
Worth coming back to
Headless, we become form,
Placeholders for ideas
and fluttering reflections to study as sculpture,
Writing on the wall
I wanted to live in your throat
Turned into a songbird
That flew in an open window
As though unaccompanied in this life
I wanted to weave a yarn
You would listen to
Write a poem you would understand
Give you an apple I pulled from my tree
When it’s golden ripe —
Like glittering cities in rear view mirrors,
It should fall into my hand
Anna Paige is a poet, writer, and educator. Collaboration is central to her work, and she often partners with other artists to create art that is experiential and participatory. Anna teaches writing at Montana State University Billings, poetry in the elementary schools, and creative classes with Big Sky Writing Workshops. She is also the co-host of “Resounds: Arts and Culture on the High Plains” on Yellowstone Public Radio, and the arts journalist at the Billings Gazette.
