Who will pause for Colorado’s state bird?
It’s black and white feathers blot the vast plains.
This underdog bird of sorts must be heard:
“Hweee, hweee, hweee! Chit, chit! Chirp!” It’s bubbling reigns.

Who will halt their daily walk to listen,
For the bunting’s calls when she feeds her young?
“Hweee, hweee, hweee! Whert! Whert!” about where she’s been –
Gathering some seeds, an insect that stung.

Who will check on the little lark’s far cry,
With one last tweet as the night settles in.
Our reciter confirms she will not fly,
Until daybreak inspires lyrics again:

“Hweee, hweee, whirr! Chirp, chirp, chirr!” above the grass.
“Warble! Warble! Pipe!” Troubadour, alas!

Biography: I arrived at Aims in January 2018 to teach English literature and composition. I have been writing poetry since I was a child. Several family members have written poetry, including my maternal great-grandmother, Sarah (Wilson) Yost, a published poet, and one of her daughters, Sarah Chard. I also paint and draw. I prefer pencil, pen, charcoal, oils, and pastels. My formal scholarship includes Shakespeare, Renaissance poetry and drama, modern and postmodern poetry, marginalized authors, and the U.S. commercial film industry. I regularly write and publish reviews and essays. Some current poets I follow are Carmen Tafolla, Alberto Rios, Mark B. Hamilton, Shaun T. Griffin, and Ellen Bryant Voight!