When Color Was New

Darsha Primich

"Evolution has endowed birds with a system of color vision that surpasses that of all mammals, including humans." What Birds See. Timothy H Goldsmith. Scientific American Vol. 295 No. 1, July 2006

The one-legged cardinal
Who lives in my garden
Has the eyes of God.

He lives in wild wavelengths.
A bird's spectrum focus
Of shimmering light

Known only to cardinals
And avian creatures
With one and two legs.

The colors he uses
To cover the distance
From tree top to nest

I cannot envision.
Tetrahedron tinctures.
Superior paints.

Primary refraction
Near ultraviolet
Outside of my sight.

With one strong good tarsus
The world he inhabits
The patterns he sees

Are humble reminders.
The panoply of sparks
In my mammal brain

Are mere accidents of
A mysterious faith:
Life's evolution.

Copyright © 2007 Darsha Primich. All rights reserved.