Thanksgiving may have helped inspire this little song, as I helped dispose of the leftovers:

By Charlie Ipcar © 11/29/14
Tune: traditional after "The Topman and the Afterguard"

Vulture Culture

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The Cuckoo, she's a pretty bird,
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And so's the Tur-tle Dove,
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But the fairest bird a-mongst them all
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No one will ever love!
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She's the Vulture, oh so grace-ful,
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Watch her glid-ing in her flight;
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While other birds just flap their wings,
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She soars a-bove so light!

I call her fair for she never steals,
Or lays eggs in other nests;
She's never vain or ever rude;
The Vulture's the perfect guest!
See her feathers, glossy black,
Gray her shy and balding head;
She never strikes to kill her prey;
She dines only on the dead!

The Osprey dives to strike her prey,
But the Vulture sits and waits;
When all have finished with their dish,
She sidles up to the plate;
She never fusses 'bout the tidbits,
Or how long they have been left;
She digs right in with her sharp beak,
Then slugs it down quite deft.

If there's reward for toil and strife,
When comes the final test,
For cleaning up what others leave,
The Vulture is the best;
Hear her sing, though not so soothing
As the cooing Turtle Dove,
The Vulture is the fairest bird
And she deserves our love!