Tag: birds

Simply Sunday

On By Piano girl11 Comments

Grief

A black cloud
Moved across
The gray
Morning sky
Circling, swirling
Changing shape
Separating
Coming back
Together
Its fluctuations
Matching
My grief-
Moving closer
I could see
It was not
A cloud
But a flock
Of birds-
They landed
On the branches
Of barren trees
Perched up high
Unwavering
Their feathers
A brief replacement
For recently
Fallen leaves
Their stillness
Giving my heart
A moment to rest
Catch my breath
Though tears
Continued to flow

My sweet dad passed away early this morning. My heart is broken. I am forever grateful that he was my dad. He had a gentle strength about him. There is so much I want to remember and reflect over. But for now, this is all I can share.

Winter Visit

On By Piano girl14 Comments

Snowflakes
Circling
Round and round
Falling toward
Frozen grass
Too cold out
For human hands
Tiny birds
Swooping
Up and down
Trees to feeder
Feeder to ground
Feathers puffed
White bellies shining
In contrast with
Gray skies
Gray bark
All but one…
Its red feathers
Radiant against
The wintry scene
Its red crest
Held high thru
The winter storm

The temperature in my little corner of Oklahoma today is a whopping 5 degrees. The windchill is -16. Winds are howling, and snow is blowing. But the birds still flit in the backyard. Our feeders are full, thanks to my sweetie. 💙❄️🌬

Bird Watching

On By Piano girl4 Comments

Looks as if
You strayed
Too far from
Your nest
Frantic chirps
Both yours
And your mothers
Served as a clue
Hard to spot
In the leaves
Of the shrub
Outside my window
But there you were
And mom not
Too far away
She brought you
A worm, twice
Full Stomach
Left you quiet
Slowly blinking
Sleepy eyes-
When I checked later
You were gone

Yesterday, I heard chirping outside my window. A female cardinal flew in and out of our front bed. But the chirping remained even when mom was gone. After some quiet watching, I noticed a baby in one of the bushes.

I’m not sure if birds get sweaty, but this baby looked ruffled. The small tuft on top of the head was like a toddler waking up from a nap. The temperature was above one hundred at the time.

Later in the afternoon, the baby bird was gone.

Early in the evening, we had a surprise thunderstorm. A welcomed relief from the heat. But there were strong winds and hail. I wondered about the little family of cardinals, especially the baby.

Walking into the kitchen this morning, I noticed a male cardinal sitting on a feeder. Hmmm…a quick investigation revealed that sweet baby. Now sitting on a low tree branch.

Looks like I might just be a bird watcher for the day.

Expecting Finches

On By Piano girl4 Comments

Pine needles
Flutter
As the wind
Prepares them
For the day ahead-
Guests will be arriving soon!
With little resistance
They continue
Rapidly moving
Back and forth
Up and down
Blurring
Into one seemingly
Singular motion
Their guests
Will be small
Yet, the hopping
Of tiny feet
From branch
To branch
Has been known
To wreak havoc
And reassurance
Is required-
Pine needles
Work together
Hold tight to your branches
Only then will you
Be able to welcome
This charm of trembling finches
Into your arms of grace and strength

Simply Sunday

On By Piano girl5 Comments

More Than Enough

Tiny feet

Not typically

What I would

Notice about you

And yet, there

You were

Quickly crossing

The busy street

In front of me

I slowed a bit

Smiled as you

Made it to safety

I wonder why you didn’t fly?

After all, you do have wings

Yet, for a reason

Unknown to me

You chose

Not to use them

Perhaps the wind

Was too strong

The distance

Too short

No matter

Your resolve

Shone thru

With each tiny step

I suppose

Sometimes

Tiny steps

Are more

Than enough

Summer Morning Surprises

On By Piano girl3 Comments

Cool summer morning
Pleasant surprise
Family of birds
Playing happily
In a nearby tree
Begins to circle
The sky in flight
Darting up
Dashing down
Dancing together
Like children
In a game of
Ring around the Rosie
Upon their return
To the safety
Of familiar branches
The welcoming tree
Like a wise grandmother
Rocking on the porch
Shakes with laughter
At their homecoming
Knowing they will not
Live with her forever
Especially
The young ones
For soon, they will
Find their own mates
Build their own nests
Perhaps in
A nearby tree
Perhaps not
For now, she accepts
The importance
Of protecting
While preparing
For the day
They fly away
Hopefully
Another lovely
Pleasant surprise
Cool summer morning

From the Birds

On By Piano girl4 Comments

I watch the birds
Flitting around
In my backyard
Each one hatched
From its own egg
With no choice
In the hue of
Its feathers
Or location
Of its nest
Each flying free
Singing a melody
Taking a turn
At the feeders
Happily sharing
Tree branches-
Perhaps there is
A lesson in
Their song
Their flight
Their feathers
A brilliant
Display of beauty
Found in diversity-
I think they are wise,
Those birds-
Not a single one
More important
Than the other

Blackbird by Paul McCartney and John Lennon Kelley Morris, piano

Morning Thoughts

On By Piano girl2 Comments

Leaving for work
This morning
Car packed for
A weekend
Road trip
Thoughts already
At the end of today
Think I’ll send
A text to Mom
See you tonight!
Little cardinal
Crosses my path
His brightness
Could not
Be ignored
His fluffy
Red feathers
Taking off
From the ground
Made me smile
Slow down as
I drove out of
The neighborhood
Rachel says every time
She sees a cardinal
It reminds her
Of her Papa

Tomorrow’s To-Do’s

On By Piano girl4 Comments

o Wake up before dawn
o Send out a few tweets
o Ruffle a few feathers
o Take early morning flight
o Make sure job site is secure
o Send out another tweet
o Dig up a few worms
o Take afternoon flight home
o Feed baby birds
o Give flying lessons
o Send out a few more tweets
o Ruffle a few more feathers
o Snuggle down in nest
o Take a nap

~Mama Bird~

Today’s prompt was to write a poem in the form of a “to-do” list for a person or character. For more info and future prompts check out https://www.napowrimo.net/.

Bird Songs

On By Piano girl2 Comments

Sleep came easy
Pleasant surprise
I thought surely
It would evade
Instead, it was
Baby sleep sound
I woke to a
Familiar song
But my head
Was still dreamy
Wait-was it a dream?
No-a chorus
Of birds playing
In the morning sun
Their conversation lively
And filled with hope
For the day ahead
I listened as they sang
Outside my window-
A window in the house
Where I grew up-
Now I sit outside
A hospital in the town
Where I grew up-
I sit and wait
Thankful for sunshine
And blue skies
Thankful for prayers
And loving hearts-
Thankful for the birds
I hear singing even now
In this space between
Worry and peace

What is one word almost always associated with hospitals? Waiting! 😉 But that is ok. My dad is not the only person in need of surgery today. We are not the only families waiting outside during these unusual times. Dad and mom are patiently waiting in his room, updating us with texts. We are enjoying the sunshine. I continue to write in between conversations. It is one thing that helps keep my heart calm. ❤