bird brains

you've known
plenty of chatter
boxes
in your day.
women and men
who opened
their mouths and
words would
fly out
like bees from
a hive struck
with a bat, wild
and going in
all directions.
say the word
red and they'd
take that and
run, red
sea, red grapes,
red rum.
mention birds,
and every bird
they've ever
seen would play
into the next ten
minutes of talk.
a black bird,
a sparrow.
the time a crow
flew into
their head.