Every Bird Drinks Differently - March 7, 2025

there’s the nervy up-and-down dippers

the straw in a cocktail, beak sippers

the sideways gulpers, cheeks on water

and the scoopers who throw it back

of course, we have a thirst beyond water

it requires wells to be dug

hidden springs to be tapped

we seek a nectar only found

in the world inside us

love is that concentrate

that can be taken straight

or mixed and cocktailed

a hundred different ways

after all, we have our lovers

and our friends and those

more diluted acquaintances

we also enjoy

so yes, humans also

drink in multiple ways

if not in a group

then with someone special

though in more desperate times

holding an empty glass

on a stool

all alone