The Geese Are Honking Overhead

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The Geese Are Honking Overhead by Kenn Nesbitt

The geese are honking overhead.
The ducks are quacking loudly.
The crows are cawing up above.
The swans are snorting proudly.

The eagles cry. The hawks reply.
The blackbirds beat their wings.
The finches twitter in the sky
as every starling sings.

The pigeons coo. The owls hoo-hoo.
The robins chirp and cheep.
The sparrows whistle warmly while
the swifts and swallows peep.

I love the sound when they’re around;
so lively, wild, and free.
I simply wish that, as they passed,
they dropped no plops on me.

— Kenn Nesbitt

Reading Level: Grade 3

Topics: Animal Poems

Poetic Techniques: Alliteration, Assonance, Descriptive Poems, Imagery

About This Poem

Have you ever been pooped on by a bird? I have… three times! Once when I was a teenager, and two more times just last year. The first two times were by seagulls. Believe me, it’s not fun to get a big plop of seagull poop on your shoulder or in your hair.

But the most recent time, the culprit was a pelican. And, trust me on this, you do not want to get pooped on by a pelican! It was in my hair, on my shirt, my backpack, and my pants. It even hit a couple of people near me. In other words, this poem is based, to a small degree, on a true story.

I enjoy watching birds fly, and listening to their songs. But I hope I never get pooped on again, and I hope you don’t either. But if you like reading funny poems about birds, here are a few more you might enjoy:

From the book The Elephant Repairman

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