before the trucks and cars and busses and shouting hawkers
begin their caucophony
all of the eyes and ears along this alley are silently opening
like snowflakes melting on water
while above the pavement, trapped
behind buildings leaning like crooked teeth,
hiding somewhere in the crooked limbs of a broken tree,
this funny bird starts again to chuckle
starts again to laugh and joke
imitating every awakening bird
every clang and clap of a waking city
sounding back to the sky above
from lead-up to punchline and back again
never telling the same joke twice
