unfortunately billy collins couldn't include every wonderful poet who wrote about birds and there ishortage of african-american poets that the selections that are included are admirable indeed, and beautiful. and i've chosen three to read today. this first one is in new york city. on the 65th floor where he wrote advertising copy's, joking about the erratic -- that no purpose other than to make far too many by far too much. he stood one afternoon face-to-face with a falcon that plummeted, and swerved to a halt, wings hovering. and office of computers clicked behind them, blow the silence of the miniature lunchtime crowds and toylike taxis drifting without resolve or the will of others. the bird has been brought in he thought to clean up the city's 30 problems of too many pigeons. pages. it's a higher to beat. still he remained at the tinted glass windows watching how the falcon gave much poised to the air that carried it in its share fall breaking the mayors self reflection of glass office towers. he chided himself. is now the gods come to deliver a messenger, the falcon seemed to wa

collins. and he did. if you look at uncle billy sherman and collate what he said he will say do you know what?why did you have to say make georgia synonymous with ruined for all of these things that were a little bit over the top. david petraeus was very sobering judicious in his speech but when you look at his appointments prior to that, he married the superintendent's daughter. you have vary as to the appointments that emphasize education and the new type of -- armor artillery although he was gifted in almost everything. something to the effect in the book that when david petraeus was in a room everybody knew he was probably the best-educated in the smartest and he knew that he was. that created a lot of jealousy and envy i think. i understood that it takes a lot of confidence in one's powers to think if you just let me come in and clean up the mess because because that is what we are getting down to. we don't say that explicitly but ridgway is basically saying everybody else screwed up. i'm going to go over there and give the united states at second chance. petraeus never said that but when