3 Poems by Linda Sacco

I Am Budgie

The elders called me “good eating,”
so I flew camouflaged between the waterhole and the scrublands.
The newcomers reduced me to ornamental status,
so I tried to soar behind bars.

The opportunists made me every colour.
Yellows, blues, whites, greys, purples, olive and multitudes of original green.
European bird breeders and Australian exporters got rich quick,
so I was called a good pet.

The humane owners I considered my flock.
So I ate when they ate,
listened when they spoke,
mimicked the same language and sounds.

From the Australian outback to the world,
I became the most popular feathered friend.
So whether you call me budgerigar or parakeet,
I am budgie… hear me chirp!


Currency

Kindness is a currency –
can’t spend it all in one place.
Save a little for yourself –
for a rainy day.
Keep a little to yourself –
to make a sunny day.
Keep spare kindness in your pocket –
to make change in the world.
Kindness is a currency –
don’t fixate on the exchange rate.
(That won’t fix anything.)


Cost

Gypsy lifestyle,
bohemian spirit.
Freedom has a cost.


Bionote

Linda Sacco lives in Melbourne, Australia. Her poetry has been published in Ariel Chart, Bluepepper, Dead Snakes, Dual Coast Magazine, 50 Haikus, Haiku Journal, Haiku Pond, Inwood Indiana, Poetry Quarterly, Poetry Pacific, Tanka Journal, Three Line Poetry and Track + Signal Magazine. Her first poetry collection is titled Waves. She has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net.
She is the author of the Which Is Your Perfect Pet? ebook series with titles on Dog Breeds, Designer Dogs, Cat Breeds and Birds. A forthcoming title in the series, Rabbits and Rodents is due for release in 2024..