Cliff Swallows

Every spring,

all the way from

South America,

flocks of cliff swallows

arrive in my region—

to South California.

They follow the

Pacific Flyway

an aerial route

over the vast blue Ocean

to reach their breeding grounds.

I see them circling the sky

from morning to evening.

Their shadows fall on me,

which cheers me up.

They hunt for nesting places.

Which roof should be good?

It’s not a simple thing—

but a conflict.

They produce excreta,

which is unaesthetic

and unhygienic.

Homeowners call

pest control

or put up nettings

to prevent the nests.

Some, however,

let the migratory birds

build nests

and raise chicks.

The birds gather mud pellets,

laboriously building

their gourd-shaped homes.

Often in community

of clusters of nests.

All summer, they are

fixtures in the blue sky.

As temperatures cool down,

in early autumn,

they prepare to fly back

to wintering grounds—

with the new chicks.

I feel privileged

to live in harmony

with these cliff swallows

who have been

coming here,

since centuries.