One for sorrow, two for joy,
But any number cheers this boy.
Always checking land or sky
Hoping hard to spot a 'Pie'
Magpies are the smartest birds
Some even echoing our words
Smart of coat and smart of brain
Playful, sometimes raising Cain.
Years ago I found a chick
Fallen from it's nest on high
Took it home, handfed and reared
That fledgling to an adult bird.
At six months old, I let her go
She lingered, but at last she flew
And I swear she always knew
Where she could find a scrap or two
Maggies always were around
Our bird table or on the ground
Her name was 'Peggy', that is why
From all the birds that I see fly
My favourite is the Maggie Pie.
Tony Gardner
