BIRDSCAPE

     “Cheer, cheer, cheer, cheer, cheer, cheer, cheer, cheer, cheer, cheer”
               One bird called out against the raucous caws
               Of backyard crows, who seemed moved more by fear—
               And then there was a momentary pause.

               My speculation about this is that
               These birds were neither celebrating morn,
                Nor sharing songs, but saying they’d seen a cat
                In tones not of exuberance but scorn.

                Well, that has passed  and after a short lull
                Their songs resume, a medley of chits
                And cheeps and chirrs, and then an interval
                Of silence till again more tweets and twits.

                     But now it all subsides as traffic noise
                     And airplanes overhead drown out their joys.