Magpies

by Barbara Lynn Terry

They are black, and white, with a spot of grey,

They warble rather than sing,

These native Australian birds.

We saw them years ago,

On a silly carton show,

And we called them Heckle and Jeckle.

They were the talking magpies,

That made us laugh,

Through all their silly antics.

But the real magpies here,

Are such caring creatures,

That feed and mother their young.

They are called the Australian alarm clock,

Because with their weird warble,

They can wake you from a deep sleep.

They sit on roofs, trees, telephone and cable wires,

They even search for food under the grass,

These native Australian birds.

They seem tame, and not afraid of people,

They even step away from oncoming traffic,

These friendly creatures we call magpies.