The Feeder, 3

3.

It struts on the grass, like a crow but smaller,

or, the grackle, whose green head shines,

or starling, aiming its golden eye,

or Red-Winged with its gaudy flags,

but this bird, this bird crosses the grass

white stripe tucked, the orange locked up.

Blackbird, blackbird, fly away.

Take sorrow with you when you go.

Raven, starling, grackle, crow.

Tricolored Blackbird, my favorite, my signature:

nobody knows for sure what it is

till it flies away.