birds

hopping up roof from the arbor
grape thief jay
flies prize away

102 in the evening shade –
birdsong welcomes night
slowly, softly

garden yin, garden yang
doves and jays
pecking at scattered seed

dilapidated birdbath
a flash, a splash –
a bird

with apologies to Bashō and his old pond

everyday pine-top crow
takes the high ground
caws out to the world

sundown –
a confusion of crows,
the cawcawphony begins

sleek jay eyes scattered seed . . .
eyes me eyeing him . . .
sprints to fence, to tree . . .

black and white -
crows, egrets
in rice fields, feeding

one-legged jay,
hops, pecks,
screeching flies off

east flying crows
caw & caw,
announce the fall of night

one-legged jay
scruffier than the rest
hops about scattered seed

dusk in the valley,
crows gather, flock,
10,000 caws

inside the gift shop
two captive birds
sing for each other

all jays
under heaven
squawk

one dove
gracing
the giant pine–
sunset