Sunday, July 31, 2016

Resident Authority--By John Zedolik--United States

Resident Authority                                

A blue jay lives on Garland Street,
I’ve see him on my walks

I’ve read he is a rough fowl but
never heard him squawk

and drive away the lesser birds
that gather gray and brown

ignorant of the pecking order
in his cul-de-sac of a town.

Since I’ve seen him certainly twice
in the branches of the oak

I’ll call him resident, give him rights
greater than those wee ones he pokes.

He can harry, he can boast, run them
to the ground, and they can flutter

in regions upper,
when his blue is not around.
              
For thirteen years, John Zedolik taught English and Latin in a private all-girls school, and in 2010 completed his Ph.D., in which he focused on the pragmatic comedy of the Canterbury Tales. Currently, he is an adjunct instructor at Chatham University in Pittsburgh. However, he has had many jobs in his life including archaeological field assistant, obituary writer, and television-screen-factory worker. His iPhone is now his primary poetry notebook, and he hopes his negotiation with technology in regard to this ancient art form continues to be successful.

5 comments:

  1. John,
    I loved this! I have always had a liking for birds, and all of God's creatures. Welcome to Whispers!
    Your friend,
    David Fox

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  2. Hello John, I love poems that tell stories and I also love birds, so this is the best of both. I enjoyed it! :)

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  3. Hello John. If you are new to Whispers, welcome. Thank you for sharing your wonderful poem, "Resident Authority." I enjoyed it. Continued blessings!

    -MJ (www.tgbtgpublictions.com)

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  4. And congratulations on receiving your Ph.D.

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