Bird Island

the egrets have returned
after the pyrotechnics
the screeching and sudden
pops
after the noise cannons
the lasers and the lopping
off of thick branches
after men in hazard suits
stumble about cursing
complaining of the smell
war against white birds
with crowns resting atop
curved necks
every day they fly
to the landfill
to snack on insects
buzzing above garbage
and interfere with aircraft
according to the Air Force
according to the city
and so the rookery must go
the scheduled deferment
of the birds
today on the island
near the bridge
toward the east end
of the lake
the egrets have returned

Jacob Friesenhahn teaches Religious Studies and Philosophy at Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio.