Thrice

By Yoon Ha Lee

23 August 2010

three things she sought

in the forest's frozen jaws

icebird's sharp feather

firebird's charred talon

nightbird's dark egg

three times she leaned

over her reflection in the ice

but one feather will not free her

to soar toward the sun

one talon will not arm her

against wolf and bear

one egg will not hatch her

into a kinder pyre

Yoon Ha Lee lives in Southern California with her husband and daughter. You can read more of her work at her website and in our archives.