I

Empty birdfeeder

He once asked me to fill it

Then showed me how to

 

I felt lame watching

I can keep a funnel straight

I'm not being taught

 

Then came the birdbath

He only changed the water

I went back inside

 

II

The birds drain them fast

I could do it alone now

I dump the seed in

 

The birds drink in filth

I take a brush and I scrub

and fill it again

 

The birdbath is clean

It’s been dirty a long time

I went back inside

 

III

One hungry morning

Having filled the feeder yet

I walked to the spout

 

Here, a dead bird bobs

The water pail as its tomb

It drowned in the rain

 

Under nearby birch

I bury my friend in leaves

I went back inside

 

IV

I look through the glass

The window in the kitchen

Birdwatching indoors

 

I can’t name species

I see them all congregate

Fleeting communion

 

They come and they go

I’m happy to see them fed

Suzerain of birds