WHOOPING CRANE

Long legs for stalking in the shallow swamp

A long neck and wings

            for long distant aerodynamic flight

A long beak for snatching up frogs and fish, snakes and mice

Whoooop! Whoop! Whoooop!

I am the whooping crane!

I dance when the earth rises,

            when the snow melt floods the rising creek.

I dance when the pasque flower pushes up through the springing earth.

I dance when the sun rises,

            when the flocks of birds rise from the trees,

            rising from the everglades to the great north woods.

I dance in the tall prairie grasses,

            my head bobbing like cattails in a spring storm

            wings extended, long legs strutting,

I dance!