TELL me, O bird from the land of the Cid Why do thy tail feathers droop so low; Why art thou mute that was wont to bid Fiercest defiance to every foe? No longer thy clarion voice rings out, Pealing like thunder from earth to sky, Waking the Peche with thy joyous shout, Till rival roosters were forced to fly. The Rooster Loquacious; "Once I was youthful and passing fair, Captured first prizes at many a show, Could lick all the birds ever flew in air, And beat record time on the heel and toe. "Proud was I then of my martial past, Vain was I too of my gay topknot, Successful in war and skilled in court, Gallinaceous beauties my favors sought. "But family cares when I settled down Made the gallant topknot droop day by day, The white wings faded -- my ruddy crown Disappeared, till those charms had all fled away. "Pardon these tears, by emotion stirred, But keenest sorrow of all to know Is that once I was known as the 'sacred bird, And now they call me 'sacre oiseau!'" | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...TO SAMUEL COLERIDGE UPON HEARING HIS 'SOME I FEEL LIKE A MOTHERLESS..' by GEORGIA DOUGLAS JOHNSON LIVE AND HELP LIVE by EDWIN MARKHAM SPOON RIVER ANTHOLOGY: TOM MERRITT by EDGAR LEE MASTERS THE THREE BEST THING: 1. WORK by HENRY VAN DYKE SOMETIMES WITH ONE I LOVE by WALT WHITMAN ECCLESIASTICAL SONNETS: PART 3: 5. WALTON'S BOOK OF LIVE by WILLIAM WORDSWORTH ST. AGNES' MORNING by MAXWELL ANDERSON INVITES POETS AND HISTORIANS TO WRITE IN CYNTHIA'S PRAISE by PHILIP AYRES |