BIG RED AND MISS GREY
So middle of the night it twas
The straw quit falling, the spider quit spinning
Rimming roof holes only light that was
While muttering cockles and cooing tickles in twinning
Ruffled ear of Perchy Owl causing no pause
In dreamy sighing of mice and men at their sinning.
Only crouching hare in lumbery weeds
Rolled eye at spikey star, dancing faint chorus
Twitching nosehairs in question of such creeds
Bunching paws and tail in tighter lest morass
Rolling from yon fields stick to ears like beads
While light spikes and wing lines flew to surpass.
Now Big Red did huff to sling out wings in crow
Smashing Miss Grey still deep in dreamy coos
But now swiveled about in cote feet in a bow
Almost tied about her neck such was the doos
And donts and cockles and doodles of Red in crow
That Miss Grey scarce membered in peace dues.
“Oh, Red, you big dusty, crusty, lusty yardbird are you!
“What brings you to crow and flap and scrape and scrap
“Our good night of rest with such cockling much ado?
“What cracked your eye at midnight, stirring my nap
In rocking me off my rest with such flapping todo?
“What in heaven or earth heard you to cause such snap?
“Oh, little Miss Grey, Miss Proper Miss Grey, do you not hear
Now the flap of other wings, the brush of spinning robes on your cheek?
“No, Old Mr. Importance Red Cockle, I was in perfect peace in my bier.
“I practiced my coo chords in quiet sleep needing to fill my soul in meek.”
“Woe is me, Miss Grey, shame on me, Miss Grey, for flapping your rear.”
“Too rude of me, Miss Grey, too bold of me, Miss Grey, for bumping your beak.”
“Oh, lest us be done with regret, Ol’ Red’; no matter, Ol’ Red, for I also hear,
“Some chord like golden silk in strum floating over field and hills,
“Coo,coo, indeed I do hear, I do hear song in need of no throat so dear,
“As those who carried first light, first dawn, first leaf in their bills.”
“Oh, please Miss Grey, if you will, Miss Grey, now permit my beak to clear
“This low roof beam as I fly to greet these heavenly winged trills.”
Oh, Big Red, Old Red, Loud Red, never did I think myself to nod
“In accord with such clatter, so peaceful is my name with the sages
“But just now seeing human two below bending care to trod
“Just now seeing that man, that woman below some told in past ages
“Just now seeing that new babe swaddled in box so close to sod
“Just now I must trill with you, to spill with you all good news in magis.”
“Oh, Miss Grey, dear Miss Grey, sweet Miss Grey, how you lift my crowing
“Into a flying chord of clear express, Into a tune of high joy willing good,
“How we two, you and I, in stall so simple, now trill and thrill in towing
“All the news across this little town, over these weary ones that could
“Bed only down in hay, now rise up in song and trill, new glory throwing
“All around my every cockling crow new starry light crowning Babe so good.”
Now Big Red and Miss Grey sighed together in peace and joy and goodwill
As they tucked beaks under wings and muttered, no travelers yet seen behind the hill.
granbee 