Perched Normalcy

At home, we had a parrot, bright feathers a show,

who mimicked my father’s laugh, deep and low.

I thought every family shared in this glee,

a creature of chaos, our own symphony.

But talking to friends, I found this delight

was rare, just a quirk in my childhood light.

An empty perch gathers dust, memories cling,

reminding me how normalcy dances on a string.