The Butcherbird Knows

The butcherbird knows
when we sit down to lunch,
perching on the plastic chair
to wait for someone's pity
or messy eating habits.
As the crowd thins out,
it grows brave and hops
onto the table to hunt
down globs of vegetable
curry and butter chicken.
It eats the largest bits first,
a smear of orange sauce
on its beak until it jumps
back onto the chair back,
rubbing its large, long beak
on either side of the plastic
like its sharpening a knife.
The food falls into its mouth.