A catbird sounds like a cat and a crow
like a scold and a bluejay like a crow

overacting. In triplicate, cardinals emit
the pew of storm troopers’ blasters,

and eagles, on spotting mice,
make more or less the noise

my grandma made on spotting mice,
which is why patriotic admen

hire hawks as eagles’ playback singers.
Then there’s the mourning dove, its call

an owl’s ersatz. Whereas mockingbirds
aren’t picky mimics.
                                         I’m listening.

For the grackle, black and slick,
with the voice of an unoiled hinge.

For the red-winged blackbird, its creole
of starling and frog. For the robin’s tut

and chirr. For sparrows’ quarrels.
For the thousand scores I don’t know.