Eddie Albert at the Green Acres General Store

In this great, green, good morning

Carol is up early and in her office,

while I lie in bed listening to the day.

An app on my phone lists

birds that live in our neighborhood

and feed at the bird cafe suspended in our yard.

Twelve species light up the screen.

A Northern Cardinal and Carolina Wren

blink most often as they

bicker back and forth, back and forth.

I wonder if they understand each other or

if they just celebrate their conflict of ownership.

I imagine the Carolina Wren saying

y’all ain’t from around here;

the Northern Cardinal ignores the whine,

bellies up to the feeder and

says I like the weather here and

I ain’t leaving soon.

A Mourning Dove collects seeds

dropped on the ground and

coos calmly, like a Quaker urging peace.

Other species ignore the centuries of bickering,

while Mockingbirds perform imitations

for laughs among the azaleas.

I meander to our kitchen,

cook oatmeal with wild blue berries,

grab a cup of kefir and

a larger cup of coffee,

retreat to my office to begin my day

in this great, green, good morning.

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