The Cormarope

The Cormarope?

This poem was inspired by my college ornithology professor, Dr. Ken Boone. While birding in Michigan, he incorrectly identified a cormorant as a phalarope. He confessed that he had some mental block with those two bird names - so I wrote this poem for him.

A small bird of red
Spins body 'round head
Not very far from the shore.

Its name is quite odd
My mind starts to plod
But my memory has a shut door.

It's driving me crazy
My mind seems quite lazy
I feel I should rave and rant.

Ah! Now I remember
This bird is a member
Of the family called cormorant.

A young lad beside me says,
"Please, sir, excuse me
Are you looking at that phalarope?"

"I never have seen one,"
He said as I stood stunned
"Could you tell me what Kind, I hope?"

"A phalarope?" I mumble
My mind's all a jumble
Could it be double-crested or great?

I say rather snide,
Consult you field guide
I must leave for it's getting quite late!"