-come n’ get it!-

I set-up two bird feeder stations yesterday,

one in front of the house, roadside,

the other at the north side of the house,
facing the Janowski property, always for sale,
always for eight hundred thousand bucks.

the birds are active here

zooming around in haphazard patterns

and it’s a wonder they don’t collide more often.

out front, the feeder swings gently

from a high metal stand buried

into the ground where a small, circular

man-made landscape of mulch

is enclosed in a ring of bricks adding a fine,
manicured touch to their experience.

I assumed the birds would enjoy
the natural rocking motion of the feeder.

but they fight aggressively for position.
they’re voracious

and the crows overpower the smaller birds
as well as each other, occasionally
complaining so fiercely among themselves
that they leave the feeder in a chase for dominance
which continues into the trees.

a 6 pound bag of seed is devoured in an afternoon.

now I've gotta go to the Home Depot to get a bigger bag.
maybe a 10 pounder.

I hate the way the little ones look at me.

at the window, the indoor cat
observing the feeding frenzy
seemed to be internally combusting
with impossible anticipation

and the guy who helped me secure the feeder's stand
sprained his wrist early-on in the process of construction
and was rendered near useless.

there are worms and insects all over the earth.
I don't need this and neither do the birds.

setting-up a couple of bird feeders in your yard

won't guarantee feelings of comfort and joy to anybody.