my friend took her african grey parrot
to the urbana avian vet for her yearly
checkup–pokes prods peers down her
beak up her bung takes temp takes blood
she doesn’t like it at all (would you?) spits
snaps snarles grumbles complains “you
must think this is the end of the world”
the vet is sympathetic then “how does
she behave at home?” “well she’s already
upset with this shit storm in the white house”
the vet turns to the parrot, says gravely
“you need to stop watching the news”
©2018 Jacqueline Jackson
This article appears in Feb 21-27, 2019.
