The Acclaimed Avian Choir of Western Massachusetts

High above a snow-
covered field,
six black birds
sit side by side
singing acapella
on the top line
of the G-clef.
Then one of them
takes leave,
flying off with a flourish –
a grace note,
if I’m not mistaken –
its wings trilling
a high soprano
as was inscribed
by one of the greatest
avian composers ever known.
The remaining five birds,
hum-drum quarter notes,
remain in place,
their nodding heads
maintaining the beat,
steady and mundane
as a metronome.