Elegy for the Weka (Woodhen)

Unbridled your curiosity and with a

propensity to annex anything moveable,

I salute you Weka, synonym for a thief.

Crafty and impudent, what does it take for a

flightless bird to survive against the odds, to survive

hoons, lazing on verandas in the summer heat,

using you for target practice: and Lady Barker, -

“They run quickly, availing themselves of the

least bit of cover, but when you hear a short,

sharp cry, it is a sign that the poor Weka is

nearly done and the next thing you see is Fly

shaking a bundle of brown feathers vehemently.

All the dogs are trained to hunt these birds, as they are

a great torment, sucking eggs and killing chickens.”

Comments

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Greytown county almanac

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