We don’t live in the wilderness
But, nevertheless,
Plenty of creatures entertain us
‘Round ‘bout my house
Seagulls and crows –
Didn’t think they’d mix
But they’re up to tricks
Like picking our roof apart
They congregate in noisy flocks
They roost in the ash and redwood trees
They wheel and turn in the chill, clear sky
(Once when the wind was rising
In the California summer
And fires began to rage in the distance
The crows wheeled ominously above
With loud and raucous screeching)
Squirrels add their voice to the chorus
With angry squawking at my cat
Or spiraling up (or down) the trees,
Chasing each other
Butterflies bring silent rest notes
To the symphony
I hear a hum – nothing less
Than a hummingbird
Doing acrobatic dips and swirls
And in summer
The fence lizard skitters shyly away
The animal chorus –
Perhaps out of tune,
But welcome in the silence
clarakatalin 
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