Ted Kooser, US Poet Laureate from 2004 to 2006. Photo by UNL Publications and Photography.

I like birds, and poems about birds, and several years ago I co-edited an anthology of bird poems called “The Poets Guide to the Birds.” I wish Judith Harris had written this lovely description of a mockingbird in time for us to include it, but it’s brand new. Harris lives in Washington, D.C.

Mockingbird

I can hear him,

now, even in darkness,

a trickster under the moon,

bristling his feathers,

sounding as merry

as a man whistling in a straw hat,

or a squeaky gate

to the playground, left ajar

or the jingling of a star,

having wandered too far

from the pasture.

American Life in Poetry is made possible by The Poetry Foundation, publisher of Poetry magazine. It is also supported by the Department of English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Poem copyright © 2010 by Judith Harris, whose most recent book of poetry is The Bad Secret, Louisiana State University Press, 2006. Poem reprinted from Narrative, Summer, 2011, by permission of Judith Harris. Introduction copyright ©2011 by The Poetry Foundation. The introduction's author, Ted Kooser, served as United States Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 2004-2006. We do not accept unsolicited manuscripts.

WHAT’S YOUR NUMBER? (Rated R)

Another chick flick seeking to push boundaries, “What’s Your Number?” takes the formulaic, paint-by-numbers approach to wring laughs from an utterly predictable, conventional romantic comedy.

Such a blueprint for humor is not necessarily a bad thing, if the circumstances are right, the dialogue is fresh and clever, and the characters are appealing.

The last part of this equation comes together nicely for “What’s Your Number?” The perky, goofy and adorable Anna Faris brings flavor, as usual, to an otherwise stale concept.

In the role of Faris’ male counterpart, Chris Evans, still buff from his titular role in “Captain America,” spends a good deal of the movie shirtless.

The comedy works on the creaky, false premise that Faris and Evans are polar opposites who will never become partners, but of course they are destined to be together in the end.

For one thing, both of them are, at first glance, rather promiscuous and indiscriminate in their romantic relationships.

Faris’ Ally Darling has failed in her career and love life. When she loses her job at a Boston marketing firm, she comes across an article in a woman’s magazine about sexual partners.

To her dismay, Ally learns that a woman who has had 20 lovers and remains unmarried is probably doomed to a life of loneliness. She quickly figures that she’s already up to number 19.

Adding insult to injury, Ally drinks too much one night at a local club and wakes up the next day to the sleazy boss (Joel McHale) who just fired her.

In rather conventional fashion, realizing her number is up, Ally decides she must track down her previous flames and find the “right one” that she let slip away.

Meanwhile, her womanizing neighbor Colin (Chris Evans), who always opens his door in the buff, offers his services to track down Ally’s missing exes.

The tradeoff, which is appropriately immoral, is that Ally will let Colin hide out in her apartment in the mornings as he waits for his “one-night stands” to leave.

That Ally and Colin are fated to fall for each other is so predictable within a matter of minutes. The only potential suspense is what will be the tipping point.

To that end, Ally embarks on a search of her past loves. One unfortunate soul is immediately dismissed because he’s still a bartender after nine years.

An ambitious Capitol Hill political aide (Anthony Mackie) looks like the perfect Mr. Right, until he confides that he wants to marry Ally as a cover for his closeted gay lifestyle.

She even travels to Miami in search of a gynecologist (Thomas Lennon, a familiar comedy character actor) who is equally unavailable because he’s already married.

Ally’s desperate search for the right guy is also fueled by the impending wedding of her younger sister Daisy (Ari Graynor), because she needs a proper escort.

Filling out the film’s running time by delaying the inevitable, Ally thinks she finds her soul mate in the rich, handsome Jake (Dave Annable) just in time for Daisy’s wedding.

Apparently, the debonair Jake’s sole purpose as a suitor is that Ally has found someone who is at least acceptable to Ally’s snobbish, overbearing mother (Blythe Danner).

To remove all doubt that Ally and Colin belong together, the action shifts to an empty Boston Garden, where they play a game of strip basketball, if only because the script required Chris Evans to remove his shirt for the umpteenth time.

“What’s Your Number?” will raise the unavoidable comparisons with “Bridesmaids,” one of the best female comedies ever.

The latter film would have been a perfect fit for Anna Faris. Instead, this gifted funny girl is given the unenviable task of bringing laughs to “What’s Your Number?”

In spite of the film’s formulaic weakness, Faris employs her flair for slapstick silliness to do the best she can. At least, she’s fun to watch.

DVD RELEASE UPDATE

When you think of long-running TV series about a courtroom lawyer, the first person that should come to mind is Perry Mason.

Raymond Burr portrayed the famous fictional Los Angeles defense attorney on CBS, beginning in 1957 and running until 1966.

“Perry Mason: The Sixth Season, Volume One” is being released on DVD, a largely no-frills edition that focuses only on the episodes.

Burr’s Perry Mason specialized in winning seemingly indefensible cases. His incredible detective skills often unearth startling new evidence and his outstanding courtroom skills often trap or confuse witnesses into admitting their own guilt in the case.

Barbara Hale also starred as Mason’s confidential secretary, while William Hopper’s detective Paul Burke often saved the day by running into the courtroom with startling new evidence.

In the history of television, it may be difficult to find anyone who at least sounded more authoritative than Raymond Burr during cross-examination.

“Perry Mason: The Sixth Season, Volume One” is another DVD set to treasure, and surely more will follow soon until the series is complete.

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.

The class will be held on Saturday, Oct. 29, and Sunday, Oct. 30.

The class is limited and filling up fast, so hurry, if you wish to attend.

The sign-up list is at the Main Street Gallery, 325 N. Main St., Lakeport, along with a supply list.

The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The classes will take place from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 10, and Monday, Oct. 17.

Each participant will paint and take home a silk scarf.

The cost is $20 per person. No experience is necessary.

Each class is limited to 10 people; children are welcome if accompanied by an adult.

Sign up at the Main Street Gallery, 325 N. Main St., Lakeport.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Orson Welles’ first feature film – which he directed, produced and co-wrote, as well as played the title role – proved to be his most important and influential work.

The groundbreaking drama is loosely based on the life of William Randolph Hearst and is frequently cited as the finest American film ever made.

Watch Charles Foster Kane utter the enigmatic “Rosebud” on the big screen on Tuesday, Oct. 11, at the Soper Reese Community Theatre, 275 S. Main St., Lakeport.

Suggested Donation $5.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Film begins at 6 p.m.

This special Lake County showing is part of a new Classic Movie Series recently debuted at the theater.

The showings take place on the second Tuesday of every month through June of 2012.

Check the theater's Web site, www.soperreesetheatre.com, to see what other classics are coming up.

The Soper-Reese Community Theatre is a restored, historic, performing arts venue established in 1949 and seating 300 patrons.

Run by an all-volunteer organization, the theater operates under the guidance of the nonprofit Lake County Arts Council.

The Soper-Reese brings dance, music, plays and poetry to all members of the Lake County community and to visiting tourists.