Even a Gull Has a Mate

A piercing, shrill cry

The wings beat firmly against the wind

The beak, curved and sharp

Pierces the prey with intensity.

.

The nest’s warm protection

The length of brooding

Patience and parental love

Become a new generation.

.

The next generation is born

Food stuffed into gaping throats

Parents give of themselves

In both hunting and providing.

.

They are a working pair

Above the city rooftops

White gliders

With watchful eyes.

.

An impossible task alone

The two stay together

Monogamous until death

A lifelong love.

.

I see them soaring in the updraft

Patrolling with keen senses

Do they greet me with screeching cries

Or warn me of my arrogance?

.

I do not tempt them

And they do not try

To steal a meal

From my hands.

.

I rejoice in the despised birds

Artists in the art of finding food

They live with the scream’s sharp sound

And I gaze across the sea.

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Authors Note

This poem reflects on the life of seagulls as a quiet mirror to human existence. What begins as an observation of their cries, flights, and nesting rituals, unfolds into a meditation on love, shared responsibility, and the endurance of partnership. The gulls – often despised, yet tireless providers – become artists of survival. They live loudly, fiercely, and faithfully, often above the urban chaos, reminding us of the strength found in connection and devotion.