November 17, 2011

Poems for birdwatchers


by Michael J. Rosen
illustrated by Stan Fellows

A collection of haikus that capture the essential nature of 26 birds like the American Goldfinch, the Chimney Swift and the Cedar Waxwing. Distinctive facts about each bird are written in curly, elegant script. 


Here’s Rosen’s take on the European Starling:


masking the daylight
one wheeling black star explodes
thousands of starlings


House Sparrow:
hunkered, plumped sparrow
each feather pockets the heat
a mitten-warmed fist


Northern Mockingbird:
the one-man bird band:
diva, choir, and orchestra
unbroken record

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