the value of birds

i fully intended to write a poem
today about sleep deprivation
and impossible deadlines

but, a dollar bill appeared in my path
in the cold foggy haze of morning
as winter transitions into spring

i folded the dollar and
tucked it into a pocket
for safekeeping

two birds, dappled grey and blue
sought comfort in the branches
of an overgrown bush

is one dollar in
the pocket worth
two birds in the bush?

i stood on the sidewalk and
questioned the value of the
slip of paper in my pocket

and the value of the birds