Danger in Youth

It's spring and a dazzle of gray and white...
dances across the yard and is out of sight

it awakes me in the morning with its limited call...
three voices in three groups and melodious all

and in a few weeks its vocabulary built...
all night and all day there's a rythmic lilt

it accompanys me and comforts me as it continues to

grow...
and its learned how to chase them both cat and crow

it's a young mockingbird obstreperous and proud...
not afraid of any and growing quite loud

the cat in the yard with its tail in air...
is dangerous game and fodder that's fair

the meandering crow is forced down in my yard...
my daring young bird chases always on guard

one morning I waken but not to a sound...
my mocking bird's gone and nowhere around

I enter the yard in the cool spring weather...
amid mess there of gray and white feather

I see the cat startled happy and dark...
jump over the fence and into the park

obstreperous and treacherous that cat's learned a

lot...
when to dangle its tail a lure its been taught

daring in adolescence and bold beyond measure...
my bird was a meal that cat can now treasure