I have no money,
only sand in my pockets,
still, the blue canaries sing to me in the morning,
and I pray to be your first thought,
or your last.

Maybe one day,
we will have a garden together
where the blue canaries sing to us,
and we will feed them
raindrops and sunshine.

Then you will tell me your every thought,
and I will agree with everything you say,
because all I want is for you to be happy
and not trip over the same stone every day,
and the blue canaries will sing.

Linda Joy Walder

Reprinted from “A Poetic Odyssey, Central Park New York” (Poets Choice, 2023)