Sparrow Song

 

Tiny birds are blessed with the best of songs;
take a good walk and you’ll notice.
Blue jays wear their beauty in feathers, not voices,
pigeons and doves just quietly mourn,
crows and grackles caw and… grack,
seagulls squawk and woodpeckers drum,
and even the largest of eagles
can only manage a pitiful squeak.

But stand in a wood and you’ll hear before you see them-
the ones who warble and sing and trill.
Their nondescript browns and grays are deceptive
as their glamour shows best when you close your eyes.
Yes, the smallest birds have the biggest of songs,
and their songs always sound like hope.