Люсиль Клифтон. Лорена

Lorena

it lay in my palm soft 
and trembled 
as a new bird 
and I thought about 
authority 
and how it always 
insistent on itself, 
how it was master 
of the man, how it
measured him, 
never was ignored 
or denien , 
and how it promised 
there would be sweetness 
if it was obeyed 
just like the saints do, 
like the angels
and I opened the window 
and held
out my uncupped hand , 
I sweat to-god
I thought it could fly.