The Woodpecker is a nature poem, a persistence poem and reflection on doing the impossible by sheer neck and determination.

The Woodpecker – Nature Poem

Facing off to 
 a hoax-proof tree bark 
 wearing nothing 
 only feathers,
 a pencil beak and
 a hard neck,
 the woodpecker
 jumps his claim.
 
Dissing the
 finch's chattering tweets
 cackling nothing
 only flies,
 a chirp and
 a chop,
 the pecker 
 marks the first dent.
 
Neck muscles 
 flex rhythms,
 drum solos,
 warrior of old
 braver than a grizzly
 surer than Goliath
 smarter than David,
 the woodpecker knows
 
how to bore a hole,
 1000 drills between
 heartbeats
 bite with
 diamond
 steel and 
 titanium precision,
 as he must
 
to eat
 to nest
 to rally
 to drill
 to drum
 to beat
 to belt
 to pelt
 to snare
 to bone
 the trunk.