He showed up on a
Sunday (I remember my
Portuguese, Sunday=Domingo)
And began to sing.
He sings of doves in lower
Terraces and bushtits in hedges.
He sings of hawks in high
Distance and a lazy cat --he makes
All their sounds, announcing to all
Birds this is a good garden to nest in.
He is a virtuoso --his opera includes
Survival-- and the birds come.
There is nothing medicinal in
His art of reciting himself
But he helps other birds decide,
And he makes me feel good.
I call him Placebo Domingo.
"Bravo", I tell him. "Bravo!"
Oh, I love this. And it's so true. They have real life stories to tell in their songs. Kudos.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sandra. These little guys are among my favorite creatures --so persistent and cheerful-- despite being the bane of cats and flying down to conk my head if I get too near a nest. Fearless things!
DeleteYour best poem so far. I like the name Placebo Domingo. It fits.
ReplyDeleteMost kind Emma, I consider the mockingbird a creature of great merit. They are useful in communicating the presence of threats and allies --the stuff of opera.
DeleteGreat play on the name! I've never heard or seen a mockingbird, that I know of. It occurs to me that I might not have realized it.
ReplyDeleteO Jenny, our northern mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) has relatives all over the world and sometimes its song can be taken for the creature it mimmics --they even do car-alarms!
DeleteBravo to you! This cheered me. "Domingo" is also Sunday in Spanish, right? I think I remember a few words from Spanish class in High School.
ReplyDeleteObrigado, Robyn. Yes, Portuguese is very much like Spanish except we were banished to the coast for using aitches ("H's", as in Sp. señor = Port. senhor). We were also afflicted with ulotrichy by invading Moors but I won't go into that.
DeleteBravo indeed!
ReplyDeleteAnd I love the notion of the mocking bird...the great theatrical being...playing so many roles to perfection...
Absolutely brilliant!! :))
Thanks, Ygraine. They are amazing little beings and their stage includes the sky.
DeleteBravo Geo!! Thank you for sharing the visage and word-songs of Placebo Domingo with me. Blessings, MW
ReplyDeleteThank you! I appreciate your kind comment.
DeleteNorma's photography perfect as usual and your poem complimenting her art as well. I realized that the mocking bird does have it's role to play. Wow.
ReplyDeleteNorma wishes she could have got closer to the mockingbird but it would have flown away. They are indeed marvelous creatures.
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