Those Charming Birds

All over the town, people are talking,
About the six dimensions,
Of these evolving freaks,
Whose thunderous voices,
At dawn and dusk,
Rock the Aotearoa, mountain peaks.
These bizarre cases
Of nature, some how, do enthrall.

Their facial structure,
So very small,
And nostrils, out of place,
Which cosmetic surgery,
Could erase, the mystery.

Their social ways of life, are very weird,
And their eating habits, smeared.
With a crotch, clutch and drop,
Of an egg, so big,
In their burrow of grass, and twig,
They lay in the ground.

They are copycats, and prowlers
Of the night, not easily found;
They work, when others are fast asleep.

With so many talents and gifts;
Their camouflage is unique,
And the tattoo patches, too sleek
On their chests, and bellies,
They wear, these honorary celebrities.

We are superstars now,
But bemoan the fact,
That we are hunted, by the paparazzi,
The ferrets, every dog, and cat;
Stalking us, in our natural habitat…

These terrorist bands, with covert and overt plans,
Are ruining our heritage, and our lands.

We are confused,
By the bright light,
You are calling us, fur ball hermits;
Yet you are saying, we have a great smell,
And much finesse,
Wearing a saggy dress…

Naturally shy, these foul descriptors,
Don’t lower their self-esteem;
For their awesome skills are very well entrenched.
The mystic god of the forest, Tane...
Smiles on their freakish charm,
And they are revered, across the land.

Some are icons with flightless wings,
Flying remarkably well on high,
The national emblem bears their name,
At the Olympic games, for fame,
And across the food chain, for capital gain.

As agile as ever,
They do the polka, and the haka,
With great mouths to holler,
All birds in the air,
All fishes in the sea,
Do tell us what this poet
From another land, touring our town,
Is talking about!

The barb talks,
Not about the fruits,
Nor about the kiwis;
Only about Kiwi Birds,
Found in beautiful Niu Tireni.

©Paterika Hengreaves
August, 2004/Hibiscus Coast, New Zealand