Gifts often come in unexpected ways
Ways undeserved and unpaid for
like the small woodland lying
just beyond our back deck
filled with tall trees reaching for the sky;
a home to squirrels and birds
who come to my feeder
on a cold January day
*
The house finch with his crimson red head
jockeying with the sparrows and titmice
for a place at the feeder
*
I watch the downy woodpecker
who gently dances down the wire
to the suet feeder hanging almost against
the glass of my living room window
He peaks in our open window and knows
all is well as he and she eat their fill…
Much less work than pecking into shedding bark
hoping to find a bug or termite hidden there
*
And then there is the cardinal
wearing a beautiful red coat
who competes with the wren
for seeds other birds wastefully pull out
as they mine for black oil sunflower seeds
hidden in the mix
Their scratching scatters seeds to the ground
where doves, squirrels, and towhees
“eat the crumbs from the master’s table”
*
Yes, some gifts cannot be bought with money
but leave me grateful, blessed,
and thankful beyond measure
on this January day
Photos: Dwight L. Roth
Today at d’Verse, Sanaa asked us to write about our January days and how we feel about them. I chose to write about all the beautiful birds that entertain me as I sit in my chair and watch them come and go. We own none of the trees behind us but enjoy the benefits of them being there every day, as the seasons change.
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Roth Poetry 