The Many Birds That Fly Free In The Open Countryside Are Celebrated In This Poem Poem by Reginald Reid

BIRDS

A rounded young fellow known as Franklin the finch
Who measured his stature in terms of an inch
came down to the pond for a drink.
On that hot summer's day he was inclined to just play
so he paddled and dabbled avoiding the clay.
He splashed and cavorted with every feather disported.
It was all just great fun don't you think.

The robins and bluebirds all wanted to join in.
So they each took a turn in the water and churned
then landed on branches quite thin.
They wiggled and stretched,
As they dried their wet wings and to the water returned.
Each to the other these smallest of birds never uttered a word
For they all spoke with quite different verbs.

The gathering grew large, birds near and far came along
for a drink and a swim, singing their own special song.
Then the lorikeets swooped in and made a great din
screeching as they flew through the air.
They came in by twos and so each made a very fine pair.
To the smaller less colourful they were bigger and bossy
with their feathers bright coloured, all smooth, and so glossy.

They waddled about with an occasional shout
as they picked at the grass seeds and trees.
'Boss cockies we are and you are so small
You hardly come up to our knees.'
Somebody asked, 'Where are the rosellas
they're quite friendly nice fellas
and they get along well with the bees'.


Someone else decided, 'We small birds can't be derided, '
so they called for a strong volunteer
to tell the lorikeets it was time for them simply to get out of here.
Willy the wagtail said he wouldn't fail.
'It's all about standing your ground.'
So he flew to the pond of which he too was fond
and took up a stand to defend.

He wiggled his rump and with a skip and a jump
worked his way along water's edge,
all the time with his tail fanned in the air.
The lorikeets said 'well if you must'
then ignored him to his utter despair.

Kookaburra just laughed as he dived in for a bath
and came out with a fish in his beak,
while overhead with a comb on his head the cockatoo gave out a shriek.
Gordon Galah shouted loudly HURRAH! !
While the great cockatoo bruskly asked 'who are you? '
As if he had some superior right.
That stopped conversation when Gordon went and sat quiet.

Then Sammy the sparrow said, 'I'm known at Eaton and Harrow
And I've travelled all over the world.
I'd like to come in for a drink and swim too
Oh please let me in and silence this din, please let me in, please do'.
Mr. Eagle passed by way up high in the sky.
He gave them no attention at all.
But when his shadow passed over it was all about their warning call.



There was space for them all.
The whole day was filled with their echoing calls
as they came and they went landing on branches that bent.
Even the small honey eaters found flowers that were sweeter
as they ignored the seeds on the ground.
The magpies and currawong warbled their songs
until the sun set at the end of a day that was long.