my parents plant flowers to bring hummingbirds to our tiny tower

vines climb soaring garden walls
hummingbirds learn to love their flowers
in a garden, seemly, made for all

they flutter fast, admired
seemingly never tired
no matter the distances they go
they knew this place as their abode

but one day they found a nest
forged by the birds they loved the best
the birds thought this was their home
they thought them merely as pests

dirty, vile creatures with wings
free-loading, useless, diseased things

they tore apart what they had built
the flowers began to wilt
and declared that such an abomination could not be

I begged my mom to not do this
We should let them stay
They responded in a sinister hiss
My dad came to say

things not like us
that take, not give
that send to steal
who see a meal

no one would house a hive
such hospitality would be a crime