International bird police were not needed

at the gathering today

as dark-eyed junkos,

cardinals, and red-winged blackbirds dined.

Even when that puffed-up jay arrived,

they found a way

to work things out,

though how they did it,

I don’t know. Oh, they had their moments,

these birds of different feather,

and sometimes darted off

in quite a flutter, but always they returned

and ate together.

                                                                                                                           JDG