John Berry’s most recent poem to appear here was “Robert and Walt in the Dark” (May 2015). 

Beaking
By John Berry

Some scientists
will tell you
when grackles sit
at a feeder

they raise their beaks
and puff up their feathers
to appear to be large
and impressive.

I say    grackles
amuse themselves,
knowing full well
they need no theories
to figure us out.