Plump Geese join the band of Jays amid a colony of Gulls.
Finches charm the mob of Emus while the parliament of Owls shares their wisdom.
Nightingales watch the deceit of Lapwings, bringing the Hawks to boil.
The congress of Crows scares the Doves into flight
while the Flamingos stand pat.
Chickens brood over paddling Ducks,
the chattering Starlings upset over the unkindness of Ravens.
Swallows gulp at the Woodpeckers’ descent,
a pandemonium of Parrots scatters.
Darkness falls,
the Dance of the Wings has closed.
The party is over,
good night.
by, Anne Paterson
*The 2020 Poetry Marathon Anthology