Wise birds staggering
in clockwise circles,
mesmorize tourist smiles.
Nodding and pecking,
cockily inspecting
breadcrumbs and seeds.
Cakes are pecked and gobbled,
thieved with bits of squabble.
Wise bird behavior;
naturally getting
fatter and fatter
until, running out of greed,
they’re too full of matter.
Hop, short steps
tiny twig legs,
hop, flutter and shake,
six steps forward
then quick double-takes.
Wise birds leaving,
bend, burst and go,
push off the railing,
gone in a flurry,
puff, pull, and flow.
Glen Wheeler
Vancouver, 1993
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