Backyard Birding
A Poem by Will Falk
There are enough lessons in my backyard because there are enough birds.
There are house sparrows where there are no houses: There were sparrows long before there were houses.
Hawks and doves share the sky above my house: Neither of them argue about war.
A ruby-throated hummingbird’s throat is mostly white: Jewels are worth more than snow until the wildfires rage again.
The neighborhood murder of crows has been downgraded to reckless manslaughter: No one ever means to, anymore.
Red-wing blackbirds also have yellow on their wings: It is easier for humans to see red.
Red-tailed hawks have brown feathers, too: Blood and soil are similar hues.
Even backyard birds are bright: They need us to see.
Will Falk is a biophilic activist, author, and attorney. The natural world speaks and poetry is how Will listens. His law practice is devoted to helping Native American communities protect their sacred sites and cultural resources. He is the author of How Dams Fall and When I Set the Sweetgrass Down. You can follow his work at willfalk.org.