Magpies
(Spokane, 19/9/1971)
One for sorrow, two for joy,
Today I drove Route 93, Montana counting magpies.
Three for a girl, four for a boy,
I pitted them against the crosses by the roadside.
Five for silver, six for gold.
White crosses, each marking a place of death.
Seven for a secret never to be told.
One for drinking, two for a lark,
With short wings and long tails they flew, or maybe just sat,
Three for carelessness, four in the dark,
There sure were a lot of birds down there by the roadside.
Five for sleeping, six for speed,
I suppose they feed on creatures killed by cars.
Seven for racing and trying to lead.
True story. At the site of every fatality there is a cross, or crosses, for the victims. I was impressed both by the frequency of crosses and by the abundance of magpies, and the words just came. My feelings are that this verse is worthy.