Lament to the Little Birds

[Stephen Whiteside]

Lament to the Little Birds

Where are the wrens? Where are the finches?
Victims, most likely, of Life's brutal clinches.
Here come the blackbirds. Here come the crows.
Where are the little birds? Nobody knows.

Here come the cats, and here come the foxes.
Line up the small birds in little black boxes.
A trowel for a grave. It needn't be deep.
The crop that we sow brings the harvest we reap.

I know there are others. I don't know their names.
Little birds chirping, and playing bright games,
All of them gone to their place in the sky.
I know all the reasons, but do not know why.

I'm bred of the suburbs. I look to myself.
I'm as much of the cause they've been pushed off the shelf
As anyone else. The strongest survive.
This is the broad evolutionary drive.

Still, I dream of wee finches. I dream of bright wrens.
They come into view in the sleeping mind's lens.
There's sadness in passing. There's sorrow in loss.
There's grief mixed with sadness in being the boss.

Where are the wrens? Where are the finches?
They're losing the battle in furlongs and inches.
Of charming, sweet birds, there's a terrible dearth.
Who said that the meek shall inherit the Earth?

Stephen Whiteside 13.09.2013

[Heather]

They're all outside my window Stephen - along with their mates the Rosellas, the Currawongs, the wattle birds, the Thrush, the tree creepers. All there.

[Stephen Whiteside]

Well, that's a good start! Just make sure you don't move your window!

I have to confess, I don't know all that much about the little birds. I imagine you know a lot more. I do hear people talk a lot about their demise, though, so I thought I'd put pen to paper - or finger to keypad - and punch something out, confident in the knowledge that, if I made mistakes, my good - and highly knowledgeable - friends at the ABPA would soon put me right!

Am I overreacting, for one?

[Heather]

It could be a matter of habitat and predators Stephen. Not only do I have a chorus of all sorts of birds here, I also have a large mob of kangaroos, a couple of wombats, bats, the occasional echidna and possum here. Although there are heaps of foxes and the occasional feral cat, the birds and animals have habitat and they are safe from humans here. The roos - outside my window, look up at me but rarely move on. They know they are safe. The Thrush nests in my stable, the Blue Wrens nest in bushes out the front of the house. At the moment I have a couple of male Rosellas that come every day to feed on the grass seed out the front of the house. A group of females come in the afternoon (not sure what's going on there!) I have Currawongs living at the back of the house - the cheeky buggers wait for me to feed the dogs and come to pinch their food! There's also a large colony of Choughs, honeyeaters the occasional finch and plenty of others I don't know the name of. There are often a couple of Wedge Tail Eagles around too.

[Bob Pacey]

I found a dead turtle dove yesterday !



Bob
Oh this is a picture of my latest patient

Willie ( Cause I found him on the road again )

He is blind in one eye ( make a good ref )

And says Pretty Pretty Pretty Birdie. Was pretty badly knocked about when I got him but on the mend now

Bob

[Stephen Whiteside]

Very impressed, Heather - both with your garden and your knowledge of it!

Is that a wren or a finch, Bob?

[manfredvijars]

Haven't seen too many sparrows these last few years either ...

[william williams]

destroy any INDIAN MINERS and their nest you come across as they kill or chase smaller birds out of the area here in Canberra and southern NEW South Wales they are classified as VERMIN and our native bird are to great not to see

bill the old battler

[Bob Pacey]

it is a Indian Ring neck parrot Steve, was found in the park on the road after being hit by a car.

Bob

[Neville Briggs]

That's a well constructed verse Stephen. Round our way there's always plenty of magpies. The willywagtails are still maintainig their nest beside the fence and sometimes the ibis get around the crop areas. And there's a tribe of ducks ( whats the collective for ducks ? ) that have survived many years dodging the cats and even foxes at the golf course. We are in drought and the galahs are starting to move into town looking for water I guess.

Who said that the meek shall inherit the Earth

I suspect that this saying gets misunderstood because it is not mainly about meekness but about inheritence. Inheritence is an unearned gift which must be given in accordance with the wishes of the giver.