Watering Phoebes 

Tina Lee

A few years ago,  we had a hot spell. 

And I did this, and wrote this: 

Stood in the hot sun at noon today 

watering the phoebe babies,

and rinsing the outside canoe-bottom. 

Yeah, no, Phoebes are not a flowering plant. 

Phoebes are an insect-eating bird. A flycatcher.

 Each year they build a nest under my deck 

and each year I try to get them to build 

on the nice flat, sheltered board 

carefully placed for them. 

But no. 

Last year they built on top of the coiled garden hose. 

This year, the nest is inside the canoe, 

below (above?) a thwart,

 right up against the canoe's sunny-side. 

Such a hot day today, so sunny, so hot.

I checked on the nestlings. They were panting.

Birds don't pant. 

So I turned on the hose and played cold water 

over the hull of the canoe, 

cooling the canoe and the surrounding air 

while not wetting the underside

 where the babies considered the advice of the parent 

who stood nearby calling out instructions. 

Warm work, but somebody's gotta do it.