Who's Who in the Pecking Order?

A magpie with a beady eye

alighted from a nearby tree,

to strut upon my wood-stain deck

then stood there rudely, ogling me.

He blankly stared, so I stared back,

a lack of manners on his part.

He found the cat bowl biscuit filled

and took his chance to make a start.

I sat there with my breakfast tea

intimidated by his size.

As all the folklore flooded back,

my hand rose up to shield my eyes.

And much to my surprise I saw

his mate had joined him for the treat,

three feet away they peck, peck, pecked

enjoying what the cat would eat.

A twinge of mischief caught my thought,

what would our feline think of that?

No sooner thought then out he walked,

still sleepy from his inside nap.

He took a glance, turned clean away

to let the magpies have their way.

Reviews

[Eilis]

This is a problem we have with squirrels where I am. They take no notice of humans and just go about their pillaging way. I went through a dozen bird feeders before I found one that could keep them out. All the others ended up on the ground where they threw them so they could gorge themselves on the seed.

Nature is mysterious. Some animals we want to get to know and they shun our attention. Others we’d prefer to offer a wide berth and they continually insert themselves in our lives. I wish a hummingbird would perch on my deck railing and let me examine him a bit, but alas he just flits on.

I really enjoyed the rhythm of your poem. And the story. It’s a nice mix of whimsy and philosophy.

[Chris Shaw]

Many thanks Eilis for your response. Very much appreciated.

Chris

[LazerRays]

This reminded me a bit of Edgar Allan Poe's 'The Raven' in the beginning. This attracted me to read more. And then the end had this cute twist. Bah, the cat didnt care. Ah well. Maybe a barn cat wouldve gotten rid of them. Those things are wild and crazy. I have a cat but he's lazy af so he doesnt come inside anymore. I leave him out all day and night. Hes fine, trust me. Nice poem here, really enjoyed it.

[Chris Shaw]

Thanks Sarah, pleased you enjoyed the read. All good wishes.

Chris

[john l smith]

we have a ton of Ravens, basically same thing, and I make sure to feed all our small birds in a protected area
Even the Jay is fairly large and intimidating

[Chris Shaw]

They are intimidating aren't they Dave? Totally unphased by my presence or even the cat when it turned up. They are so bold. Not a fan I'm afraid, although I do like most of our feathered friends. Many thanks for your visit.

Chris

[Dave]

Probably a pretty smart cat! If I remember correctly magpies are often pretty big and at times nasty.

Take care - Dave

[Chris Shaw]

That male magpie was almost the size of the cat. Yes, our feline had second thoughts. If it had been a smaller bird it would have been a different story. Thank you Dave.

Chris