The Geese Are Honking Overhead
From the book The Elephant Repairman
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
Copyright © 2022. All Rights Reserved.
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:
- Molly Has a Myna Bird
- Gordon’s Garden
- Cara’s Parrot
- I Tried to Catch a Snowflake
- The Bagel Bird
- My Kiwi Is the Captain
- My Parrot Doesn’t Care to Fly
From the book The Elephant Repairman
Use This Poem
Would you like to use this poem in your classroom? Would you like permission to reprint, record, recite or broadcast this poem, or set it to music? Please click on one of the following links for permissions and reprint rights information:
