Day 17: James Metelak: For the Birds

For the Birds

Three sparrows beat around the

holly bush;

Deck the halls with alcohol!

Pine needle tree acupuncture in

your living room,

Keep the nerves down.

The chickadees titter away on the scene

the past years’ goings on

While mother hen calculates

the credit card bill,

Runs the numbers again,

Equal shares for each chick.



Starlings chortle carols,

The Grouse puffs up his finest feathers,

Ravens croak “Bah humbug”

at the tappings at their doors,

Peacocks curl eyelashes,

pose beneath mistletoe,

Jays hawk wares at market stores

While the Cardinals wave their primaries,

nod so solemnly;

Turtledoves nod, hood their heads,

coo and wink.

A tizzy of feathers and torn wrapping paper,

the returns and the profits are in,

December 26th:



A nightingale lullabies

in the early morning

at an empty manger

The straw-scattered holy family

exhausted by in-laws

and fire codes

Sleep softly with God

in their midst.