Chickadee and Titmouse History


At the moment
of the lunge,
the black-and-white
striping
of the head
brought her into
abrupt and
conspicuous
view of the observer
peering into
the cavity--
reinforcing
the surprise effect
of the sounds produced.

*

on June 9, 1935
go down
a little squirrel hole
underneath
a dead pine stub
in a little clearing

of these the kinglets are

when the emotion of spring
is no longer controllable

when the birds are obscured
by the falling snow

*

he is omnipresent,
even in the heart of the city

{Brownsville}

on the inside
of the left mandible
of the Sulphur-bottom
Whale skeleton
under the shed

so he worked
around my ear

feel him snip snip
as he severed them

like the whistle
of a man calling his dog

he is omnipresent,
even in the heart of the city

{Brownsville}

*

the heavy, dark forests

{Kirkland}

on bending branches,
vent squeaks
and low chirps,
varied with buzzing
'dizzes'

pairs thus continue
up the forest-clothed flanks

of slopes and cliffs

only the blue jay
refuses to make way

brown above
and plain gray

{Kirkland}

the heavy, dark forests