The Parliament

The magpies have convened a parliament
And no-one’s keeping order. Item one,
The crows: (loud jeers and cackles at this point) –
This seasons’ skirmishes have just begun,

Great vigilance required at ALL TIMES,
They are and always shall be mortal foes,
They eat our kids and steal our food; no peace
Can be agreed, whatever they propose.

Next item, nests: We all want better pads
But nicking sticks (or nestmates)’s not allowed.
Shiny objects on the other hand …
(Uproar erupts among the squabbling crowd.)

Third item, twitchers: Mostly harmless, they’re
Not interested in you, some foreign bird
Is all they want to see. So distract them
Do something odd (yes, Derek, that’s not hard

for you.) Fourth item, the long-range forecast, warm
And warmer still, despite the driving rain.
Do what it takes to feed your starving brood,
Be smart, be wise, not pigeon/human-brained.

(Uneasy laughter ripples gently through
The jostling throng until – what’s that? A jay!
And thus the moot concludes with raucous squawks
While Derek goes his own peculiar way.)

February 26