Miss Loretta, most charming, is a Panama parrot With a fine line of chatter from morning till night: The coy little siren will lie and roll over; She's a cute little flirt with a laugh and a bite. Mr. Jocko, most gentle, with manners most faultless, Is a gentleman parrot who has much to say; When away from his home he is a high flier, He is known to his friends as the African Gray. Mickey Murdock Macaw is a gay cavaliero, When off of his perch, an old Pirate is he, He attacks and destroys the homes of his neighbors, With wildest abandon and devilish glee. John Timothy Reeve is a bird of a fellow, The feathers he wears mean a Doctor's degree; He oft takes a nip, and is sometimes most noisy, He is sure a misnomer for the Reverend John T. This feathered quartet, with Loretta as leader, Sing rollicking songs of the land and the sea; While Mickey and Jock, the loudest of basses, Compete with the notes of the ardent John T. Like others we know who are talkers and singers When temperament favors, they are a delight; But ever be wary and stop, look and listen, For you gamble forever 'twixt a kiss and a bite. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...FLOWER-GATHERING by ROBERT FROST THE BERG (A DREAM) by HERMAN MELVILLE THE CORAL INSECT by LYDIA HUNTLEY SIGOURNEY AMERICA by SAMUEL FRANCIS SMITH OF CAUTION by FRANCESCO DA BARBERINI THE LAY OF THE OLD WOMAN CLOTHED IN GREY; A LEGEND OF DOVER by RICHARD HARRIS BARHAM |