A MOCKINGBIRD SINGS

THE TUNES OF THE BOOGIE WOOGIE BUGLE BOY OF BIRDS HAVE WAFTED AROUND ME 3 DAYS AND NIGHTS. HIS (HER?) CALLS HAVE CONTINUED VIRTUALLY, UNINTERRUPTED EVEN INTO THE WEE HOURS OF THE MORNING. THEIR PERSISTENCE AND BEAUTY AWAKENED ME IN THE DARK OF NIGHT, PUNCTUATING WHAT WAS OTHERWISE A COMPLETE STILLNESS, NOT EVEN A BREEZE, NO OTHER NATURAL NOISES. TO THE DEMANDS OF ITS GENES, THE MOCKINGBIRD COMPLIED. IT DWARFS OTHER AVIAN ATTEMPTS AT SONG WITH NOTES OF MULTI-FACETED, MULTI-LEVELED, NUANCED AND TRUMPETED DELIGHT. DELICACY INTER-TWINED WITH STRENGTH. MIMICRY OF INFERIORS. TRILLS, CHIPPINGS, WHISTLES, CHEEPS AND GLISSANDOS. SOMEWHERE ATOP A LEAFY PERCH, MY MOCKINGBIRD POURS FORTH ITS MELODIES.

AN "UNASSUMING CHARACTER NOT GIVEN TO SELF-ELATION, OF DOGGED PERSISTENCE, OF IRON-WILL." THIS IS HOW JOHN FREMONT AN AMERICAN EXPLORER, GENERAL AND POLITICIAN DESCRIBED OUR PAST PRESIDENT AND WINNING GENERAL DURING THE CIVIL WAR, ULYSSES S. GRANT. SUCH AN ADMIRABLE DESCRIPTION SEEMS TO ME APPLICABLE TO MY CONQUEROR OF THE AIRWAYS. AM I A LONE APPRECIATOR?