Hearty Flights over Our Heads

O birds! Thine world is fantastic,

Feathered tails, plumes ornamental,

Thine forelimbs modified as feathers,

Bones hollow, jaws elongated to bills,

Keel shaped breast bones make fliers strong,

Thou colonize different habitats:

Terrestrial, freshwater, marine.

Humanity’s flying colours thou are,

Be it the cooing call from the dove,

Plumage soft, small headed female;

The lark singing through its bill slender,

Making flying clarinet; singing,

Or the strong magpie fighting crows,

Female strong; the exotica winning.

Be it the swift sparrow, high speeded,

Scimitar shaped wings and thrusts;

Human’s urge to fly high and high,

Robs eggs when intelligent jackdaw,

Shows it our nasty snatching moods,

Or heron seizing fish from the water’s edge,

With body slim and legs longish,

Proves it our artificiality for the survival.

Wood pecker prising off bark, probing crevices,

Shows the labour sense trunked around,

Or the wren, small and swift,

Feeding on small insect flocks beneath bushes,

Realises it millions bushing for bread,

Kookaburra pouncing upon snakes, lizards,

Or birds of prey; hunters nocturnal,

Their strong hooked bills, clawed talons,

Airs high speed dives on targets.

Perform acrobatic display for females,

Feathers thine drop over our ladies’ hats,

And of course game birds for hunting;

Plumes, pillow and duvet stuffings.

Birds! What if we emerge the winners?

Innocence thine is still greater;

Damage crops or foul buildings,

Thou air humanity’s flying colours,

Birds! Thine world is fantastic.