My Oriole Friend

My Oriole Friend Spring burst out on its greens so early in the year The orange of the oriole surprised me, so bold Pecking on my window, prancing on the sill This is a busy caller, some urgent message to convey. I approached my guest, treading gently on the deck Sat on the bench and uttered a timid welcome. He tapped back his hello, inspected me, proud of himself, And tapped code aggressively, at my slow response. I took some seed from the feeder and spread it near him, A goodwill gesture to show my eagerness to chat and learn. O.K.! I wanted to be friends with this dazzling creature To open my hand and have it take seeds from it in peace. You are a handsome bird and fearless to boot, my friend, But I don’t know how far our friendship can advance in code. I get the wonder of your closeness and your bloom of grace But I don’t know yet how to make the world a better place.