Birds of Opportunity

Birds of Opportunity 

From straight noon to two,

A blearing sun

Pins down hopeless

Henry at the window, transfixed

In the diner, fired, alone

Like thirty before him for reasons

Thin or few or none

Disorderly pigeons

Herded by        

A thrown clod of bread

Chick’n liver brings in

Lots of workin’

Men to eat & chat

The fringe of town brings flurry   

Of chickadees & buckaroos

With no go-away pay

No notice.

He was flying blind

Henry squinted blankly

At the satin syrup

Again pushed to sis Billie to

Beg as brother for help

Out of the striped cup’s bottom, the

Sugar slid down over his lips

Loaded with the beads of grounds

Like wet bird seed

Henry pays up

Tips her well

Waitress smiles

Not resenting

Nor shamed

He calls sister

From diner

Pay booth

Unsurprised

Sister says no

Freer still

Of traces

Then to Mom.

No tree to

Alight on. Nor

Entangled in

In her nest.

Surprised, he

Gets a cell call.

Boss wants him

Back,

Back in the

Wiry coop.

Half of

Henry

Strains

To

Go back.

A

Third

Fears

The

Caging

He’d return there

There but dreads

but

Dreads low cloud

Ceilings. So, 

Filled-with-hope

Henry tells him

No

Copyright  2002, 2012  Patrick Calhoun