The Laburnum Top

The Laburnum Top 

The Laburnum Top is silent quite still

In the afternIoon yellow september sunlight, 

A few leaves yellowing, all its seeds fallen.

Till the goldfinch comes, with a twitching chirrup 

A  suddenness, a startlement at a branch end.

Then sleek as a lizard, and alert, and abrupt,

she enters the thickness, and a machine starts up 

of chitterings, and a tremor of wings, and trillings--

the whole tree trembles and thrills. 

it is the engine of her family. 

she stokes it full, then flirts out to a branch -end   

showing her  barred face identity mask

Theen with eerie delicate whistle-chirrup whisperings 

She launch away, towards the infinite 

And the laburnum subsides to empty,