What's she at 
out back
that little bag 
of chirps 
small beak 
hole-poking 
feather-stroking 
nitpicking 
stick-amassing 
her tail flashing 
stitching nothing 
to nothing more 
than empty air 
taking chances 
with those silly dances 
playing hide and seek 
on her all-alone 
and unaware 
that just by being there 
in those song-sung 
bone-bare 
bowed and broken branches 
half her work 
is done

Pat Boran is the author of more than a dozen books of poetry and prose. Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic he has been making short poetry films which can be viewed on his website,patboran.com. He is a member of Aosdána.