bye bye blackbird

Attempting to firm up
the inside girders
of my core structure --
the bridge almost buckles.

My mother took to her bed
and fled
which I survived,
by bringing forth her beaming smile
from a photo album
conjured up

You will go too
but I ask to go first,
a stray dog with hanging tongue --
greedy for more of you.

But we don't get to pick,
so I make do with
chortles, murmurs, buzz and chirps.

Even crow's bossy chatter
counts towards
the bird song
I can't live without