For the Birds

   For the Birds

   It's not, I know, the greatest
   cosmic riddle, but why
   do robins, pro builders of nests
   and chanteurs extraordinaires,
   bathe in their drinking water? And
   when leaves fall into the basin,
   why don't they lift a beak
   to remove the clutter?

   Maybe it's all just for the birds,
   but one person I know would be
   a little more constructive,
   and sing more mellowly,
   if he'd put up with a decent bit
   of clutter, and even have a drink
   in the bathroom tub,
   though not from it.

--Fr. Walter Bado, S.J.

Lexington, Ky

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