In my neighbor’s backyard —

At the bird sanctuary — The birds fill the estuary, one by one, they flock in various colors, excited to join their peers, at the bird sanctuary It is a Sunday meeting, a cornucopia on marshy water, much like a Quaker service where everyone is equal, and have a turn to speak The pelicans come…

Haiku —

Poetic cawing and cuddling —

A spirit of nature’s joy — My wife has met a new bird, a black phoebe who visits her every day — a spirit of nature’s joy by the cool water The bird stays for a few minutes, briefly stares at her reflection, sometimes skids across the pool, takes a sip, a quick bath, and sings a winsome song…

Keeping out of harm’s way — A bird on a fence, quietly I notice her respite, hoping she doesn’t fly away, despite my proximity She sits across a boundary to prevent a misadventure, and offers wisdom in the silence of her waning tune Looks so regal up there, as if fences were made for ravens to have…

And my morning coffee — Along Alta Vista Street, the birds of paradise extend their greetings — Happy to see me, vying for my attention They are the first flowers I notice in the morning, as I hold my cup of Joe and venture down this Santa Barbara road I want to give them some…

The wild parrots of Belmont Shore — “No bird soars too high if he soars with his own wings.” — William Blake It is sad that parrots have been held captive and domesticated by well-meaning bird lovers in rolling metal cages — but here, off the Belmont Shore, in sunlit Southern California, the wild parrots are in-flight, rising above the…