NatPoWriMo

Raised by Fools

#NatPoWriMo, Day 1, “fool” prompt

Brown-headed cowbirds, such ecological Jesters.

They spring into my morning and pluck fruit from the feeder; their greenish hue shining through.

I delight in these tricksters.

They, themselves, offspring raised by fools, all instinct and wing, searching for fools of their own to raise their own, never knowing the joys of rearing their own young.

A perfectly respectable cloak in charcoal and brown, warbling notes fit for their own space in the uplift of song — of wrens, Juncos, Titmouse and jays… but the Cowbirds seek birds who’ll look the other way.

A new egg! Oh joy! Then babies, larger than life, fill nests of foolish birds who know not their own.

Cowbirds reared, filling nests with their ample breasts, entanglement of feathers and feet…and they eat and they eat and they eat.

Foolish birds might lose their own if the Cowbirds make their nest a home.

I watch the pair, silhouettes in the air, my sleepy gaze over the haze of coffee-morning mists. The delicate tribble of Cowbird giggles reminds me to never again be the fool.

Sure, it wasn’t a nest or an emphatic chest or a gaping-wide beak that stole me away, but a creeping, a quiet, sneaky thing that slipped in when I wasn’t looking.

How quickly a thing that does not belong, we celebrate and embrace and give it all we have to give. Until parts of us die away.

Sometimes, foolery sings an intoxicating song.

It shines in the sun, impressively dressed, all garble and promise and ruse. Come on in, we say, here’s a nice spot for you. And we relish the chance to be made a fool.

So learns the Jester, to spot desperate-nesters and swoop in with quick-laid gifts. Ecological advantage, one might say, when the Jesters’ learn they can have their own way.

Thank you for reading my poem, prompted by today’s #NatPoWriMo prompt, “fool.” I am not quite awake this morning, so sitting with the intentions of writing a poem came before the firing of neurons. All I could think about for a prompt “fool” was the Brown-headed Cowbirds.

The Cowbirds are one of my favorite birds for their interesting parental strategy, which for them, works very well. Brown-headed Cowbirds, if you aren’t familiar with the species, are native to my area here in North Carolina. They are what is called brood parasites. This means that the Cowbirds do not rear their own young. They sneak into the nests of other birds, often quite smaller than themselves (like House finches, Yellow Warblers, Song sparrows, Chipping sparrows, and Red-eyed Vireos), and lay their eggs in the other birds’ nests.

The unsuspecting birds take the eggs as their own, hatch them out, and then work themselves into a frenzy trying to keep these larger babies fed, often to the demise of their own brood. As a survival strategy, on behalf of the Cowbirds, it’s brilliant.

So, here’s to ecology, interesting avian parental strategies, and to the poor fools who keep the Cowbirds’ ecological advantages going, generation after generation. (And don’t try to toss Cowbird eggs out of the nest — mama Cowbird will often return and destroy the other eggs if her eggs have been tossed out. How often we deal with something unwanted, in hopes that our own goals may be met?)

Again, thank you for reading my poem. There’s a lot of inspiration for poetry right outside your window. Take the time to learn a little about the things you see!

◦•●Christina M. Ward ●•◦ is a poet and nature writer. She dreams of one day being a best-selling author so you might want to keep a watch on her career. Some of the best books are born from the springboard of a poetic spirit.