Extra-Pair Copulation in the Solitary Vireo

Alone among the throngs of springtime song
the solitary vireo gives out
his solitary call. It's not as strong
as chatter from the starlings massed about
the spill of seeds in fresh-plowed fields, or flocks
of geese in honking chorus by the water.
Not a song that confidently knocks
at heart's door: still, the female knows it caught her.

The twigs are stacked; the nest is lined with feathers
for the eggs that they expect to hatch.
It seems the solitaire has found a perfect match
to raise his chicks. They'll spend the year together—
be careful how you draw romantic morals,
it's likely that she has mates in the plural.

Collection available! Knocking from Inside