Our Feathered Friends (Poetry)

Some neighbours moan about the birds
that crap upon their cars
they bitch about the leaves that fall
seem blind to nights of stars

The trees are here for everyone
the grass and flowers, too
but they don’t see the world that way
they take a narrow view

What’s inconvenient to them
deserves no place on earth
and Nature should just take a hike
it has no use or worth

All Nature does is what it does —
it’s messy and unclean
while those of us who feed the birds
accept the wildlife scene

They grumble loud among themselves —
this anti-feather corps —
the blackbird’s hymn can’t penetrate
a song-proof mental door

The pigeons flap, the starlings squawk
the ringed doves bill and coo
a shame some folk can’t comprehend
birds just do what they do

For empathy with living things
defines how people are —
a few buy seed while others frown
and fuss over their car