May 25th, 2023

​As published in the spring issue of The Avocet.
 
Birdsong
 
The silent forest comes alive with birdsong.
A chorus of Blue Jays erupts to celebrate the bounty.
Antiphonal to highway noise, they sing.
A red bandana might attract a hummingbird.
 
I sit beneath an ancient oak where
A red bandana might attract a hummingbird.
Alone, I contemplate the flowing water.
The silent forest comes alive with birdsong.
 
I sit beneath an ancient oak where
A woodland stream murmurs reassurance.
Alone, I contemplate the flowing water.
A chorus of Blue Jays erupts to celebrate the bounty.
 
A woodland stream murmurs reassurance.
I have never heard them so energetic before.
Car horns and humming tires reverberate from the expressway.
Antiphonal to highway noise, they sing.
 
They sing as if this were the first day of birdsong.
Woodpeckers provide percussion with their beaks.
Chickadees and Titmice celebrate with melodies.
A red bandana might attract a hummingbird.
 
Copies of the bound journal have sold out. I can send you a pdf of the journal.
If you want one, please contact me by email.
Ray Zimmerman - Chattanooga, TN – znaturalist (at) yahoo.com