Poetry Month: Clever Parrot 20 of 30

Image via WikiMedia Commonsby Snowman Radio

Clever Parrot

When I told my mom I wanted a parrot
     she said, "There's just no way."
When I brought it home to live with me,
     she said, "It cannot stay!"

But stay it did, for quite some time,
     as days turned into weeks,
My mom's patience began to wane
     as screams came from its beak.

The screams could not be hushed
     the shrieks they were so shrill.
My mom she grew quite agitated,
     she wanted him to chill.

I convinced her a friend was all,
     my pet parrot really did need.
We added another bird to the cage,
     and gave them fresh water and seed.

"Polly wants a cracker,"
     would have been nice to hear them say.
Instead they repeated words they shouldn't,
     and words that weren't okay.

I tried to teach them manners,
     I tried to make them kind.
Those parrots just kept making noise,
     I couldn't make them mind.

They bit and were so messy,
     their cage was such a wreck.
When upset with life in general,
     the parrots they would peck.

Then one night it happened,
     our house it caught on fire.
The parrots knew just what to do,
     we are grateful for what transpired.

The parrots yelled, "Fire!  Fire!"
     "Help! Fire!" from inside they screamed.
The crew pushed through the front door,
     fire fighters raced to the scene.

My mom says those crazy parrots,
     did just what they needed to do.
She's just so proud I had to ask,
     "How about another two?"
   

© Cathy L. Mere, 2015




I guess you can get ideas anywhere.  You might have heard the story about the fire in Idaho in which the firefighters raced into the house as they heard cries for help.  They expected to find people inside to rescue, but parrots were making all of that noise.  I began to wonder about those parrots.  What kind of pets were they?  How did they learn to talk?  How did they know to yell for help?  What was their story?

A few sites that provided insight into the parrot as a pet:
National Geographic:  Parrot 
Bird Channel:  Ten Facts About Living with Parrots
In Defense of Animals:  The Truth About Parrots
About Home:  Good Words and Phrases to Teach Your Parrot

It's April and National Poetry Month.  I'm writing a poem every day to help celebrate!  Thanks to Margaret Simon, Leigh Anne Eck, Michelle Haseltine, Linda Baie, Julieanne Harmatz, and Kevin Hodgson for giving the final push.  We are linking using the hashtag #digipoetry.  I have to also thank my everyday poetry mentors Mary Lee Hahn & Amy Ludwig Vanderwater.  They continually inspire me.  You'll find more poetry on the sidebar.