Saturday, February 1, 2014

A Pestilence of Grackles--By Brian Whatcott--United States

A Pestilence of Grackles

Low above the empty street
feather shafts and hollow bones
a crowd of birds with slim blue feet

applauding in a noisy show
the radiance of a chill blue sky
and not a hundred feet below

that is what I saw today
flying machines from long ago
circling near and far away

and they will live to flutter still,
with their delightful speckled eggs
those our shotguns do not kill.

Brian Whatcott is a writer from Oklahoma. He and his wife, Norma, have three children. He enjoys flying, sailing and water-skiing.

7 comments:

  1. I love your poem Brian. In Texas the Grackles are a noisy protected bird. One mayor in the Rio Grande Valley several years back rode around town with his shotgun shooting at them wherever he found them, which was everywhere. Someone asked the local game warden why he did not arrest the mayor. The game warden replied "Texas law permits shooting of bird or animal that is causing havoc, damage or being a nuisance, the Gracke does all those things every moment of his life." They can make starlings look like model citizens. Robert

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  2. I am not firimilar with this bird - but, I enjoyed your poetry about this apparently 'noisy' bird...

    Rhoda Galgiani

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  3. I learned something new today. Never heard of a Gracke. But the poem was very descriptive and I really enjoyed it. Thank you for sharing it.
    Charlene

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  4. Hi Brian. "A Pestilence of Grackles" is nice and descriptive. I too learned something new today by reading your poem. Thank you for sharing. Continued blessings!

    -Maurice J. Reynolds, Owner / Editor
    TGBTG! Publications / Creative Inspirations
    www.tgbtgpublictions.com

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  5. Hi Brian -

    This is so creative and lovely. I'm so glad to read it again. May your feathers fly.

    love,
    Kathy

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  6. Thank you, Connie Marcum Wong, for the following comment--

    Brian, this poem etches a fine picture in the mind of the glory of nature in contrast to the sadness in stark light of reality. So well written! Blessings, Connie

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  7. Have never heard of such birds! Enjoyed your poem. They at first sounded like dinosaur; maybe in their manners! Best wishes Ralph.

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