Clarion Call


A shrill insistent cry intruded
on my morning walk, like an
obnoxious telemarketer who
keeps interrupting one’s peace and
quiet. Hiding in the brilliant
foliage, the brash ebullient source
of such racket remained invisible.

It was an unfamiliar messenger,
more insistent than chattering
chickadees or murmuring

turtledoves. At first annoyed,
I soon admired its persistence
in alerting danger or seeking
attention. Its clarion voice
could no more be ignored than
a baby shrieking from hunger.

Thank you, my friend, for
rousing me from my morning
stupor to greet the new day.


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