mother used to say
sometimes insects are not just insects
especially if they come into a home
or your room
they say moths are actually souls
coming back to visit their loved ones

one night when i was talking on the phone
a little brown moth settled on my study desk
somehow i knew it wasn't a mere passing insect
it was someone, something, there for a reason
didn't do anything, just let the moth be

with the memory of the bird
that flew into my house
and the sight of a bird carcass
a few days ago
i started to ponder the coincidence
of these incidents
were they meant to happen
but why over that few days
or was it just my imagination

did they mean to send a message or what?
the one year death anniversary of a loved one
brought the answers in a vague fashion
to my confused and cogitative mind
now i see grief and joy co-exist
like they say crows (black birds) reflects
a sense of mourning
while moths represent spirits

i miss her, and thank her for remembering her dear niece.

when the morning is about to break
the sky a navy blue
hung with obscure dark clouds
the rain falls without warning
on the face of the earth

an injured bird flies to the 5th level
of a high-rise flat
did it think the owners of the flat were kind souls
or did the creature just try its luck
perched on the kitchen window grill
the black bird took its chance
and flew into the kitchen
seeking a refuge from the rain and pain

the bird tried to take flight when my father touched it
its wings flattered for a while
before all movement was ceased
either too much rain had gotten into its wings
or the poor animal was injured
we brought it out of the house
and lay it near the balcony
leaving it to fend for its survival
with the hope of it recovering and finding
its way back home

a few days later
as fate would have it
a black object laid in the middle of the car park
i was on my way back from school
a tremor grew in my heart
as i advanced towards the area
there the bird was
lay dead on its side, i couldn't see very well
it was a black bird
its wings were laid in a funny way
and its internal organs had spilled out
i cringed with horror and sadness
my emotion throwing me back to
the recollection of the bird that came into my home
i screamed and ran away from the sight