Black birds on a line

like polished pearls

strung along a high wire

their feathers gleam

boast brilliance in the sun

suddenly there is a signal

and all at once they rise in air

to form a cloud of blackness

a dance of feathered wings

a mass of moving parts

all mutually agreed

to reach some chosen place

a place where all regather

as one coherent flock

one united family

who decides the destination

who decides who will lead

who cannot wonder aloud

this marvel to behold

this magic act of mystery

this flight of feathered souls.