My Hummingbird (for Theo) by Elizabeth Ward

You came by my window and you hovered there,

I gasped at your beauty as you floated in air.

So small yet so perfect you brightened my day,

And I thought for a moment that you’d come to stay.

But just as fast as you’d entered my life,

You turned around and flew into the sky.

I knew you were off to see much better things,

But I still missed the hum of your tiny wings.

I wanted to keep you but you had to go.

Still you taught me some things I needed to know:

Beauty still matters though it doesn’t last,

Love still goes on though its subject has passed,

A gift’s still a blessing even after it’s gone;

A life is a miracle even if it’s not long.

My hummingbird did one last thing for me:

He left his bright colors in everything.

Now I can see him wherever I am,

And know he was real when it’s hard to stand.

Thank you sweet bird for stopping by,

Your visit still captures my heart and mind.

You’re a part of me now as much as you were then,

And I know someday soon that I’ll see you again.