Butcher Bird,
they’ve called you.
Lanius collaris.
Jackie Hangman.
You wear your
taxman gown
with pride.
Using acacia spikes
you pepper the trees
with your prey,
turning the bushveld
into a Christmas wonderland,
brightly coloured locusts
littering limbs.
Your pantry,
Mr Shrike,
is full.
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Fiscal shrikes (Lanius collaris) are some of my favourite birds.
I have been away from pen and paper for far too long. Thank you for the Quadrille prompt at dVerse, hosted by De Jackson (aka WhimsyGizmo). A quadrille is a poem of exactly 44 words and today’s word is “spike.”
Why don’t you try and take a stab at it! 🙂
little learner 
Mar 11, 2019 @ 22:03:37
I am FASCINATED by the shrike! I love this piece. So happy you found some inspiration today.
Mar 11, 2019 @ 22:12:33
Thank you for the inspiration! 😊
Mar 11, 2019 @ 22:05:30
Woah! What a great visual piece. I can see it all.
Mar 11, 2019 @ 22:11:45
Thank you. 😊
Mar 11, 2019 @ 22:13:16
I have never seen them… we do have shrikes in Sweden, but it’s another specie, but when you described it’s habit of spiking its prey I knew i had read about it… nice to see you back
Mar 11, 2019 @ 22:16:37
Nice to finally be back! Thanks, Björn. I missed the community!
Mar 11, 2019 @ 22:27:09
In literature, the shrike is as put upon as the black widow, nefarious, dangerous, greedy, I loved your poem, transporting us to the Velt.
Mar 11, 2019 @ 22:33:18
Thank you. He’s a beautiful bird and much maligned!
Mar 11, 2019 @ 22:28:42
That’s such a vivid image, a Butcher Bird peppering the trees with prey – and those brightly coloured locusts littering limbs!
Mar 11, 2019 @ 22:33:51
I do like alliteration! 😂
Mar 11, 2019 @ 22:34:30
Me too!
Mar 11, 2019 @ 22:32:02
Before your poem, the only fiscal I knew of had to do with finances. Like Bjorn, I had to research the shrike and it’s strange habit of impaling its prey. Thank you for broadening my education in your beautiful poem!
Mar 11, 2019 @ 22:36:01
The bird gets his name from his appearance — he seemed to be wearing the suit of a taxman! Hence the “fiscal!” 😊 Thank you!
Mar 11, 2019 @ 23:16:04
Not familiar with that bird, but that makes this piece none the less beautiful! Like it!
Mar 12, 2019 @ 03:58:58
Thank you. 😊
Mar 11, 2019 @ 23:48:00
Well its nice to read you again, smiles.
I have not seen those types of birds but do admire the gorgeous details of this:
Using acacia spikes
you pepper the trees
with your prey,
Mar 12, 2019 @ 04:00:04
😊 Thanks. Good to be back.
Mar 12, 2019 @ 00:09:26
Great writing! The style of this poem reminds me of the style of Marianne Moore’s “The Fish” or Mary Oliver’s “Black Snake.”
Mar 12, 2019 @ 04:04:40
Thank you. I am overwhelmed by the comparison. ♥️
Mar 12, 2019 @ 01:43:03
What an interesting bird! I like his Christmas trees and his pantry. A really neat write.
Mar 12, 2019 @ 04:19:18
Thank you. Poor bird gets a bad wrap!
Mar 12, 2019 @ 03:10:42
Oooh! Tons of great language in that!
Mar 12, 2019 @ 03:57:49
😊. Thanks.
Mar 12, 2019 @ 04:52:22
Nice!
Mar 12, 2019 @ 06:50:19
Thank you!
Mar 12, 2019 @ 16:38:22
Welcome.
Mar 12, 2019 @ 15:44:39
I love fiscal shrikes and their name! I want to name animals based on their appearances. How do I get that gig? 😉
Mar 12, 2019 @ 16:14:45
I’ll speak to the boss! 😂
Mar 12, 2019 @ 19:12:09
Nice lines: “you pepper the trees
with your prey,”
Mar 12, 2019 @ 19:47:20
Thank you. 😊
Mar 13, 2019 @ 00:12:08
Beautiful! Thanks for giving me a reason to look up images of this cute little bird.
Mar 13, 2019 @ 06:09:37
😊 They are handsome, aren’t they!
Mar 13, 2019 @ 03:40:28
Love how you layer the metaphor of the bird and the taxman, and your turn to second person at the end gives this a charming and slightly haunting twist. Shrikes are fairly common where I live; they always give me a bit of a chill to see them.
Mar 13, 2019 @ 06:14:54
Thank you! When food is abundant they often forget half of their prey. An eerie sight on a barbed-wire fence – the shrike’s larder!