Hey Bird Brain!

Hey Bird Brain!

Seagulls were feeding on fish
In the river when
Geese swooped down and elbowed in
And off the seagulls flapped and flew
And landed again
Near Keap and Metropolitan
And eyed a rain-soaked heap of bread
Upon which fifteen pigeons fed
And said: hey, let’s eat that instead
Despite its lack of toothsomeness
And drove the pigeons off to find
Some slop beside the bagel shop
Across the street
If only they’d joined forces
With the seagulls and the geese
The birds could take each bakery
Each empty high rise building
In the city — solidarity
My lovely, bird-brained friends

Elliot Sperber is a writer, attorney, and adjunct professor. He lives in New York City and can be reached at elliot.sperber@gmail.com and on twitter @elliot_sperber