Old Fruit Cans

     A couple of decades ago, I was composing an email in Microsoft Outlook and it wasn’t working so I got miffed and started
making paragraph returns to get it to work. Then I sent the email.
My friend Nancy read it and e-mailed me back. Could she send her friend my wonderful "poem?"  I responded, "Sure."

     Here's the so-called poem:

Nancy,
You will be happy to know that driving home yesterday
I espied a Long-billed Dowitcher on the side of the road
Close to rush hour traffic.
I applied the brakes,
Immediately reassessing and realizing
That it was a snipe!
I swung around
And picked up Mr. Inland Sandpiper.
He was very pretty --
Very very pretty was he indeed!
With a chocolate back,
A rosewood beak, (a teak beak)
And a tail like a Texas Prairie Chicken.
Oh, he was a fine, fine -- and beauteous creature,
Quiet and reserved,
And headed for the last round-up too I should think.
I left him in some weeds
And drove away.

     I never told her it wasn't really a poem.

     Well, today February 20,2021, I was out birdwatching and I insisted that we were looking at a Wilson's snipe and I wasn't sure she agreed. Tom Ditsworth had a good camera and sent this picture. It's definitely him.