Little brown sparrow,
in the old stone Buddha’s lap
you have built your nest.
Why
Little brown sparrow,
why are you singing spring songs
with snow on the ground?
Enough
Little brown sparrow,
will you find enough to eat
now that autumn’s come?
Frost
Little brown sparrow,
will you find enough to eat
now that frost has come?
Wheelchair
Little brown sparrow,
an old man in his wheelchair
scatters crumbs for you.
Train
Little brown sparrow,
as the night train roars through town
you stay fast asleep.
Plaque
Little brown sparrow,
the marble plaque is empty,
waiting for your name.
Stray
Little brown sparrow,
at the cold-water spigot
you sip some stray drops.
Days
Little brown sparrow,
the days are getting shorter,
but your song grows long.
Hurdy-gurdy
Little brown sparrow,
the blind hurdy-gurdy man
grinds out tunes for you.