Poem for May 22, 2025

The firetail tells the boys when nests are nigh

And tweets and flies from every passer-bye.

The yellowhammer never makes a noise

But flies in silence from the noisy boys;

The boys will come and take them every day,

And still she lays as none were ta'en away.

The nightingale keeps tweeting-churring round

But leaves in silence when the nest is found.

The pewit hollos "chewrit" as she flies

And flops about the shepherd where he lies;

But when her nest is found she stops her song

And cocks [her] coppled crown and runs along.

Wrens cock their tails and chitter loud and play,

And robins hollo "tut" and fly away.