Ha, I like the metaphor of the title as a relationship. Free verse, so nothing to evaluate about the construction. Simple but effective.

I'm a little confused about the "waken into crabs" line. I think it means the hatchings are preyed upon by crabs, but I wasn't sure if it meant some of the hatchlings were crabs. Likewise I was confused at first about the early stanzas, since the creatures described didn't seem to be the titular birds, though I figured later that was because you had the species evolving. Mostly a message about a common enough evolutionary strategy: have enough offspring to ensure some survive predation. I can't find any fault in the rhyme/meter.

>>Pascoite

Thanks, Pasco:

This is all based on the relationship between the red knot sandpipers and the horseshoe crabs of Delaware Bay. The crabs lay their millions of eggs just as the red knots are passing by on their thousand-mile migration from South America up to the Arctic. So this is looking at things from the crabs' POV: either the eggs hatch and become crabs, or they get eaten and become the birds who eat them. I'll look for a way to make that clearer.

Mike

>>Pascoite
Hypergolic

Thanks for the kind words! I had set down my thoughts informally in this manner and resolved to turn it into something more rigorous later, but got distracted and so it must stand as is.

Also, that should be 'two' and 'shoulders aside'. Darn those speakos.