Is Instinct Always Correct

Is Instinct Always Correct?

I had watched a big flock of geese headed south.
I watched for a while, and they seemed to know north from south.
They communicate a lot while in flight, and I did wonder what they said.
The leader knew exactly where he was going. He was the head

One that got them where they were going. Finally they disappeared out of sight,
And I resumed my outdoor class. I was cleaning up the yard and thinking on this flight.
Later in the afternoon, I was out again and suddenly I heard geese again.
I couldn't believe what I saw. Here came a few geese who had turned back north again.

They were in constant conversation, and I can only imagine what they were saying.
They apparently decided to go back north, but watching, I was praying
And wondering what transpired there. "That ain't normal, Lord,
These geese will freeze when January comes." I sent heavenward a few words.

I've often wondered what did happen to them when January came.
There were all alone. Hope they knew each others' names,
So one of them could bawl out the "intelligent" one
That decided it was too early to fly south. And their life may be done.

We humans do stupid things like that sometimes, too.
We think we know more than any other, so we go backwards, too.
Then we get caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.
We scream and holler like someone else had instigated this "crime."

We humans forget about seasons and life's cycles that never end.
We think we're indestructible and we aren't ever going to end.
But we muddle on, going north for the winter cold
When nature had already told us when to hold and when to fold.