The Starling Song

One day a Starling did speak with his brother He twittering and whistled ten minutes or more On and on about preening and bees, About sly cats that hide in the trees How he lost brown bread by the blue porch 'twas a small piece he said, seriously, not much The wind pushed and pulled at one feather Life was generally good - except for wet weather With the verdigris lines beneath their sharp feet The hounds of winter waiting below on the street This conference was held a bit after six Every evening they'd meet just to sharpen their beaks High voltage lines swung back and then forth Humming some tune about the cold further north And while he bobbed on the high tension wire He sang his sad song with terror and fear “The bell would toll on a late autumn day The bell would toll and the dogs still say” “Only humans and fools butcher then weep Like dogs, they dream, and cry in their sleep” “When mankind's wars are all long past Bones like crystal chime in the tall grass” “Starlings will gleefully sing as they must The Bells toll poorly when covered with rust”