You see me,
my feathers, my tail, flitting far from my head
my influence flying over seas
far from me
You see me,
my rich royal colors alluring all to come and see
what I offer
but like a mirage
I am not what you see
but am as brown as the earth
my blood, the same as others
tinged
and like the others
have followed after falseness
an illusion
a mirage
of what is not really there
[The Resplendent Quetzal appears as a very colorful bird, but its plumage is actually brown.]
(C) Kelly Jadon, 2024
