ALL THOSE LITTLE BROWN BIRDS

ALL THOSE LITTLE BROWN BIRDS	A poem by Jane Piirto
dappled, the differences like trying to tell twins apart (one has a mole on his chin, one doesn't)
eastern phoebe/least flycatcher brown thrasher/sage thrasher wood thrush/Swainson's thrush ovenbird/northern waterthrush house sparrow/Harris' sparrow swamp sparrow/song sparrow not to mention wrens or grebes
How do they recognize each other? when mating time comes are they psychic bi-racial monogamous homosexual androgynous misogynous polygamous do they secrete species' signals? wrinkle their eyebrows? wiggle a nose? wink? sneer? sing the old school song?

How do they recognize each other?
when mating time comes
are they psychic bi-racial monogamous
homosexual androgynous misogynous
polygamous do they secrete species'
signals? wrinkle their eyebrows?
wiggle a nose? wink? sneer?
sing the old school song?

this bird
this he she fledgling winter summer
mating plumage nesting flying
won't stop long enough
for me to check my book.
my book is no help.
like trying to find a friend's friend
at a football game. He's the one
you can't miss him
with the medium brown hair
it used to be short
but it might be long
he might be gray by now
wide shoulders
usually wears a brown sweater
crew neck
getting a pot belly
but might be jogging
hawk nose bird legs
usually perches and waves
his arms in a fierce yell
at the 50-yard line
you'd know him anywhere
71" more or less