The Pied Sniper

Cherry

By Ed Crane

Sat, 13 Jun 2020
  • 2346 reads
9 comments
 

You call a witches cackle,

rasping laugh of the heavy smoker.

A dolphin with a sore throat.

 

Arrogant strutting showman

swearing black is white. A chancer

protecting your own with fierce candour.

 

You’ll take what you want without violence

if you can. Bravado is your game. You will kill

the weak if necessary. Just so long you win.

 

Stealing food from blooded mouths.

A pestering tail puller persevering ever closer

to deadly claws. Giving up, no option.

 

You have patience.

Driving home your weapon of frustration

until the nonchalant walk and twitching tail.

 

You win the day. Again the family will eat

ensured they’re safe and protected

by your Serengeti techniques.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magpie#/media/File:Magpie_arp.jpg

 

 

Certificate U
Poem
Nature

Comments

Submitted by celticman on

I thought it was Boris Johnson. then I looked at the picture. Black and white suit fooled me. 

 

Submitted by Ed Crane on

but comparing him to a magpie is a bit of an insult to magpies.wink

Thanks for reading and cherries

ED

 

Submitted by littleditty on

 a dolphin with a sore throat! Great line. I will listen out for the sound tomorrow...bit monkey too i think? 

 

Submitted by Ed Crane on

I always have to smile when I see our resident magpies belittling the neighbour's mog.

She doesn't stand a chance, those yobbish birds are too clever for her. 

Glad you liked my strepped dolphin. Thanks for reading about my mobsters.

ED

(funny you mentioned monkeys. I read that some folks consider the crow family as the primates of the bird world)

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

You sum up the magpies that come into our garden pretty well. They can even be a match for the crows who get really annoyed with them. The crows do try to put them in their place, but still the squawking continues, especially when they're in the neighbours apple tree.

Great poem.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by Ed Crane on

Very smart birds Magpies. I never saw many about when I was young but now it's not allowed to shoot them they are more plentyful. I love watching them getting up to mischief

ED

 

Submitted by Parson Thru on

Aaaaaaah, that's why.

Parson Thru

Submitted by Parson Thru on

Great portrait, Ed.

Really well studied. My aunt and uncle, who lived on the other side of the hedge currently to my left had an exaggerated dislike of magpies. Poor magpie. Like many birds, they suffer from a bad press. Nature (life) never asked for a human opinion, but it's nice to read them anyway.

Parson Thru

Submitted by Ed Crane on

I like their cheek and bravery. There are some great videos of them pestering cats and birds of prey.

They remind me of Honey Badgers of Africa. They don't seem to be afraid of anything.