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Requiem for a Flycatcher



Requiem for a Flycatcher

A flycatcher from Texas--or even beyond
Showed up here in Goldsboro quite far from his pond.
The young bird was all red from his head to his vent.
For us listers, the beast was a sight Heaven sent.
Hardly had the glad news hit the 'Net, don't you know,
Fore we flew down the route this is named 7-0.
Raleigh, Durham, and Cary sent more than a crowd. 
Charlotte and Chapel Hill--every one was allowed
To observe the small bird as he swooped and returned
--Save those few of us who drove so far and got burned.
'Cause he may or he might sit that fence when you came,
Or he could--yes, he would--cross the Neuse just the same.
He found bugs--oh so fine--as they crawled in the grass.
Took them right from our Phoebes and mocked them with sass.
Then there came a cold day in December, alas,
When E. Dean posted that we should move our sweet ---
If we want to tick off such a bird in its class.
The snow was on its way from the North to the South,
And then soon our lost bird would have zilch in his mouth.
Some fast folks ran on down and found "Red" with much zeal,
And when topping it off with a duck, found a teal!
But to our sad dismay the bird has not been seen
Since the grass of Wayne County turned white from its green.
We may hope he'll come back, though it doesn't look good
To all those who sleighed in and forlornly just stood.
Now this tale of lost birds has a moral, you know:
Ducks are fine, but flycatchers should not fly to snow.

Jospeh Covington, Raleigh