Early in the morning,
Just before the sun creeps up,
Birds gather in a tree near the house,
All tweeting and screeching
In their different languages,
Until some unseen signal
Launches them into the sky.
Each alone
But all together,
They perform a fluttering fandango
To honor the new day.
Then, descending into another tree,
Evicting their neighbors
Into their own aerial sun salutation,
On and on they go,
Synchronized swimmers of the air,
Until they disappear into the southern sky.
© by Julie Creighton.
Used with the author's permission.
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