in the quiet between November and December, a white-throated sparrow sings five long notes ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ for weeks I insist I hear an off-key bird, stand barefoot on the porch of my not-knowing ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Po-or Sam Peabody, Peabody, Peabody sings the sparrow, passerine toes holding the pine ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ even when I did not know your name, sparrow, I knew your song, the particular way you break the silence