Monday, February 20, 2017

Starling the Trickster

Monday, February 20, 2017
4 comments

You fooled me, trickster
with your staticky singing
from the pear tree in late morning
a perfect call ringing:
"killdeer, deer, deer,"
from your bill to my ear
made me drop the axe I was about to swing
and run to the open yard
searching skyward for that 
shorebird sign of spring!

You fooled me later, the day far gone,
with a near perfect rendition of tundra swan.

And now I find
as I search my mind
for a reason to dislike you
that disaffection grows
as melting snows recede
and crocuses poke through.

Soon comes the season of your usurping
nest sites not meant for you.
Try as we might, you still alight
and prospect, select, and build
Secretly at first, then in a burst
your song comes in squeaky trills.

We shout and wave
you fly away
and we believe we've won!
Yet deep inside the martin gourd
incubation has begun.

February 20, 2017
Whipple, Ohio, USA




4 comments:

On February 22, 2017 at 2:46 PM Julie Zickefoose said...

Something Frostian about this. Nice stuff.

On February 28, 2017 at 6:13 PM Patch Davis said...

Hi Bill-Thanks for the fun poem! Not sure everyone is aware the Starling is a member of the Mynah bird family, and quite capable of mimicry, including human speech. If one can still find it, "Arnie, the Darling Starling" is a fun read from 1983. They may be much maligned in the US because of their "immigrant" status (they're not alone in this lately), I find them fascinating and a joy to observe. But then, I'm a sucker for every bird!

On May 25, 2017 at 3:21 PM Lori Scheutzow said...

We call them EuroTrash. I love birds, thanks to you and Julie, dear ones, but am not a starling fan.

Lori

On May 29, 2017 at 8:09 AM Jimy said...
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