XII.
To hear an oriole sing
May be a common thing,
But I’ll charge for it.
It is not of the bird
Who sings the same, unheard,
That they’ll pay for.
The fashion of the ear
Demands to hear
And see it, too.
So whether it be real,
Or stuffed with meal,
It looks like one.
The “tune is in the tree,”
The sceptic informs me;
“No, sir! I guarantee!”
—
Non-capitalistic versions. Happy Easter!
Image credit: By John Gerrard Keulemans – Biologia Centrali-Americana, Public Domain.
