In Praise of the Ostrich

not my poem, but a gem by writer/educator Carol Jago:

Ungainly bird with little to recommend it
beady eys
sorry plumage
a pin-headed monster
with no waist at all
This creature is best known for the habit
(discouraged by therapists)
of hiding its head in the sand.

But what if the ostrich is a genius
and this is an inspired response
to a fin de siécle day?
Turning one's bottom to the sky
Meeting one's foes butt-first

Me, I'm tired
of seeing eye-to-eye with morons
and facing problems head-on.
In hand-to-hand combat I lose.
Why not learn from the bird?

At first the sand up my nose made me sneeze
but the dark is such comfort
and the quiet such relief.
I forget about the cowboy
aiming at my ass.
Let him shoot.

Head in the sand, warm, safe,
I dream about having my feathers restyled
Wonder if it's time to color the gray
Muse over eggs laid and lost
Think of you.