Odd Birds

Emperor Penguin:
In the dark, deep cold
huddled on a sea of ice,
they wait for their women.
Week upon week, month upon month,
each balancing an egg on his feet
under the warm fold of his belly.
Steadfast.
    
                 The bus broke down on the way
                 to Jenny's first date.
                 Arriving twenty minutes late,
                 she read the note on his door:
                 "I couldn't wait. Sorry. Tony."
    
Satin Bower Bird:
Artist and architect,
crafting a bower of twigs,
adding finishing touches
of feather and shell, blue on blue,
singing to any female who will listen,
hoping to lure her in
for a moment's iridescent passion.
    
                 Before her second date,
                 Jenny dreamed of Ryan
                 roaring up the hill
                 in a scarlet convertible.
                 Instead he arrived in a pickup.
    
Tundra Swan:
Heading north in the spring,
over a mile up in the sky,
his call floats on the high wind
to his mate flying beside him,
the same mate he flew with last year,
the same mate he will keep
all his life.

                 Jenny stayed with Eddie three years,
                 stayed through the good times
                 and out the other side,
                 until she knew his excuses
                 better than he did.
    
European Cuckoo:
This is a male who has trained
women so well that they never ask
for baubles or a nest to call home --
let alone for help with the kids.
Instead they follow his example
and leave the child-rearing
to someone else.

                 The night after the adoption
                 Jenny falls asleep with one arm
                 hanging over the edge of the crib,
                 making sure he is still there,
                 the baby who is now theirs.
                 Beside her in the bed
                 Tyler puts his own arm over Jenny,
                 holding her close.

(First published in Red Rock Review)