Piccolo,

instrument of delicate melody

like warbling sparrow

in a birch tree on an early

morn,

a string of keys

upon a canvas black

of tempered wood,

thine eye

an abyss

waiting for the breath of life.

Gentle song

of lullaby

gives way to

shrill chirping calls of worry,

a mother bird

searching,

frantic,

for her tiny chick

within a forest

enveloped in darkness.

Chords of birdsong

clash,

imprecise intonation

at its peak,

rhythmic,

eerie chirrups

prior to

an unknown

storm,

tension building,

fury

of a nameless force

unleashing wrath upon the land.

Piccolo,

soprano of the woodwinds,

fingers nimble

on a flute so

small,

piercing

through orchestral harmony

with notes that linger

like

a soft breeze

on a midsummer day.