At the Feeder
The young
and solitary
grackle appears
among the sparrows
and finches. Over twice
their size, it bullies them
away from the perches
but can’t maintain its
balance, can’t feed.
The smaller birds
revert instantly
to ground feeders,
eat all the spilled seeds.
Martha Christina lives in Bristol, RI, where she often visits the Coggeshall Farm Museum. She is a frequent contributor to Red Eft Review, and her work has also appeared in earlier issues of Star 82 Review, Crab Orchard Review, and the Tiny Seed Pollinator Project, among others.
See more of her work in 9.3 9.2 and 9.2 and 8.2 and 8.2 and 7.4 and 7.3 and 7.2 and 6.3 and 6.3 again