Birdhouse 65 by Jim
Rent from DeepDyve- Birdhouse 65 by Jim
Dredged from the floorof the Atchafalaya Basin,sunken Cypress is stillvaluable. Trees that onceheld homes for birdshigh above alligatorwaters reclaim theiridentity through Jim.He dries out the woodas if it cries out all thosetears dating back decades,lines them up, shapes themwith saw, screws themtogether with gripping steel,drills the doorway holeto save the birds from allthe work. He gave numbersixty-five to me as a giftfor a friend. No payment,just a handshake. It has foundits new home on a pine inWisconsin winter, drenchedwith snow instead of Louisianasun, sparrows finding a home. [End Page 317]
James Reitter is Assistant Professor of English at the University of Wisconsin-Sheboygan
James Reitter grew up in Westchester, New York, and graduated from SUNY Oswego (BA 1995), CUNY Brooklyn College (MFA 1997), and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (PhD 2006). He is currently an Assistant Professor of English at the University of Wisconsin-Sheboygan, and his academic interests include folklore, Romantic/Victorian British literature, Early American literature, film studies, poetry, and first-year writing. Outside of scholarly interests, James is a birder, a musician, and loves to watch horror movies and cartoons.
