Aubade with Horny Mockingbird

Since 4AM he’s been going
through his bootleg catalog
cardinal chirps, metal band
grackle, and chipping sparrow
trills.

Unmated males sing at odd
hours, bills leering at
all that moves, even cars.

Hope slides in on the second
beam of every sunrise, even
though last call was ten days past.

5:37AM and he’s still pleading.
True dawn an hour away —
but work-thoughts climb
over the fading fence of
sleep.

Gary D. Grossman

Verse-Virtual November 2022