Like a bird behind the poop (6)
I believe the answer is:
astern
'like a bird behind the poop' is the definition.
I can't tell whether this definition defines the answer.
'like a bird behind the' is the wordplay.
'like' becomes 'as'.
'a bird' becomes 'ern' (ern is a kind of bird).
'behind' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'the' becomes 't' (the is pronounced as a 't' sound in some dialects).
'ern' put after 't' is 'tern'.
'as'+'tern'='ASTERN'
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for astern that I've seen before include "back for sailors" , "Ran set (anag.)" , "Toward the tail of a vessel" , "Toward the back of a boat" , "Towards the rear of a ship" .)