The Blackbird ~ Poem by Irma Emery

Alone abandoned in a dark room
No sunlight can find the small corner window
My safety net, my sisters, gone to a distant land
Too young to survive
Death is certain
Alone abandoned in a dark room

Then he came like a gentle bird
A black bird
A ray of hope to a small child
Alone abandoned in a dark room

Slowly, carefully, gently wooed by the black bird
I leave the dark room
Perhaps life is possible if the black bird is there
To care, to love, to feed me

“My special girl” said the black bird
Come be alone with me in my dark room
I will show you another love, grown up love.
Death will not be certain for a special, grown up girl

Like magic at the hands of the black bird
From child to grown up girl in so short a time
No time to learn and understand
Innocence smashed
Childhood lost in so short a time
Alone abandoned in his dark room

The black bird is sick, we whisper
The black bird leaves for a distant land
We say good-bye
Do the dark rooms go with him?
Will light reach the small window now?
Still alone abandoned in a dark room?

The black bird is gone
I am abandoned
Love, even forbidden, grown up love seems better than death
The black bird will never leave my soul
He has entered my dark room forever
Taking my innocence but leaving me with a weapon.
Grown up love, he taught me, is like a sword
Use it as a weapon to survive
When you are alone abandoned in a dark room.

I have a powerful sword but am
No longer innocent
No longer trusting
No longer lovely
No longer carefree
At ten no longer a child
Always alone abandoned in a dark room

Irma Emery attended the Alliance Academy in Quito Ecuador.

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