Moving swiftly across the swamp
the sparrow tentatively
spreads out his territory;
a phonic palisade, which
he surveys with
vain conviction.
Contented in solitude,
he slides into
symphonic soliloquy;
preening at the
sumptuousness of
his stereotypic performance.
Halfway through the encore
An unwanted response echoes his call.
Susceptible to the vulgarity
of this disturbance,
he jumps down from his perch
to confront his admirer;
the repetition of his retort
parading his position.
Bemused by his
audience’s apparition
he turns his ear
to the ground,
shakes his head,
and returns to his
own self-worth:
the virility of youth
untroubled by
the artifice of age
Sam Illingworth,
Manchester University, UK
