Dead Singer
Gear-grind crushed the parrot’s beak
and ground the skull to mucous mass.
I found this gesture quite unique—
the parrot family claimed it crass,
filed suit against the perpetrator
demanding substantial compensation
in form of cash, or real estate, or
stocks and bonds adjusted for inflation.
Their day in court will soon arrive.
Their lawyer is among the best.
The judge is only half alive.
The parrot rots beside his nest.
He stinks and with that stink decrees
both life and death can be unfair;
born paupers or born Kennedys:
We live and die beyond repair.
Bob Schildgen is a poet and environmental writer who was managing editor of Sierra, the national magazine of the Sierra Club from 1997 to 2005. For 15 years he was author of a popular column and blogs, “Hey Mr. Green,” and published a collection of the columns in 2008.
While life is not beyond repair for paupers or for Kennedys still living, most matters certainly are once we become “dead ringers” for the stinking parrot. Good pun in that title, Bob. I’m not sure the parrot family would benefit by “substantial compensation” in the forms you describe, but I am saddened at the demise of animals, and this poor parrot’s end seems worse than “crass.”
Bob has made me want a cracker. I will have to speak with Polly, but let’s keep the lawyers out of it.