Turkey Buzzard

[Sue Littleton]

There must be a moral
that a bird so unattractive
in terra firma
dominates the skies
with such lazy grace
threading the rising air currents
througth the long fingers
of his mourning black feathers
balancing effortlessly for hours
with hardly a wing-beat
odiferous harbinger of bad news
connoisseur of the roadkill quick lunch
"Dr. Fell,"
ornithologically speaking.

-From Feathers by Sue Littleton

Just in case I lost a reader with the "Dr. Fell" reference, I am referring to that charming little verse from the 18th century, I believe, by one Tom Brown, written to Dr. John Fell, dean of Christ Church, Oxford, and later Bishop ...

"I do not love thee, Dr. Fell,
the reason why I cannot tell,
but this I know, and know full well--
I do not love thee, Dr. Fell."