Outside the Branches

with a cheep
and a cheerio
the magpie calls

out my window
the sunlight falls

and in his black
and white
and green
he prances merrily
as he preens
he spurts and sputters
he squeaks and squawks
all through the day
he talks and talks

the branches are
his perching posts
as I, inside,
am his gracious host

as he yabbers the day away
always convincing me
to come out and play.

~R. Harder