For this assignment, I chose to explore a work by Banksy called “Birds on a Wire” through a poem based on the learning concept of applying decision-making strategies to a life, work, or community conflict and adjusting the strategies to adapt to new situations.

Right

They come in a group.

With faces as forbidding as a storm,

And as thunderous too.

(There are so many of them so it must be right.)

They put a sign in your wing.

Hand painted with hatred,

And framed with fear.

(On paper, their words make sense.)

You go with them.

You hold their signs.

And yet you can’t bear to look at the—the thing.

(Why do I feel so uneasy?)

It is smaller than you realized,

A pink shrimp in the vast, blue ocean,

With strange colours and features you’ve never seen before.

(Could such a defenseless thing be so dangerous?)

“It is a creature from Africa!” a bird caws, but you aren’t sure how they know for certain.

“It will steal all our worms!” another cries, but you don’t know how that is possible.

Everyone turns to you and you quickly squawk out, “It isn’t welcome!”

(Did…did I really mean that?)

The thing shrinks at the noise, warbling a sound you don’t recognize.

It shuffles to cover itself more securely with its wing, body cringing in fear.

The others jeer at it, jabbing more sharp words into its colourful feathers

(T-this isn’t right, is it? But…)

You want to say something, but your beak won’t open.

You’re not even sure what you would say,

And what if the other birds get angry?

(If it’s wrong, someone will probably speak up instead.)

This thing could turn out to be dangerous too.

A crafty trickster hidden behind its meek gaze.

And anyway, the thing came from somewhere so it could probably just go back.

Right?

Right?

…Right?