BLACKBIRDS by Donal Mahoney

A moment ago,
in a flicker of pique,
with a wave of the hand,
I dispersed them.

Glorious birds,
now they are back,
gold talons wrapped,
roosting.

Glorious birds,
high on a wire,
spearing the nits
in their feathers.

Donal Mahoney, a native of Chicago, lives in St. Louis, MO. He is the son of Irish immigrants, which explains why there is no "d" at the end of his first name. Pronounced with a long "o," "Donal" is Gaelic for Daniel. It was his father's choice. This name caused his son considerable consternation in grammar school as he had to explain to nuns on the first day of class why he could not spell his own name