Sleet filled air
tracing patterns across the landscape
Wind whipped names
tagged by ice and snow
Hieroglyphics extolling
the mysteries of cardinals
sparrows and doves
created to be lost and rewritten
by the late winter sun
hold my hand
we will fall into the snow together
leaving angel wings behind
hold my hand
we will fall into the snow together
leaving angel wings behind
We woke to the sound of sleet on the roof and wild geese flying over the house on the way to the cove.
Then the big gorgeous flakes began to fly too.
Now the cedar trees are filled with cardinals, finches and juncos. We have dove, blue jays, titmice and chickadees too. And a brown thrasher showed up at the suet feeder as well as a little downy woodpecker to share a morning treat.
It is still snowing and we will end up with 6-8 inches by the end of today. And I know everyone in the eastern US is ready to see the snow go away, but this is our first snowfall of the season and it is BEAUTIFUL!
sleet colored sky
streaked with wings
of wild geese
and clouds of bird song
The north wind shushes the sleet,
preferring instead
the lazy fall of fine snow
just dusting the cedar boughs.
And not so much
to weigh the afternoon down
with drifts
or discouraging sounds
of the opinionated crows,
but just the right amount
to suggest the coming winter
and all its heavy lifting.
But not today-
today is the first glaze of ice
on the path
with just enough substance
to lay paw prints
of fox and hare
across the dimly lit day
as it drifts
towards twilight
with the cold north wind.
bruised
blue and violet shadows
across the snow
***
blue shadows
shatter across the whiteness
imperfection of snow
***
eyes of mercury
she wraps the crystalline air
around her pale shoulders
late winter
liquid trills, splashes and gurgles,
hidden springs awake to silvered sounds
as the frozen waters of deep december
transform into the rushing melt of january
spilling over the rocky ground-
mid winter thaw
bitter cold and snowy morning
in the face of a small bird
the sun
hold my hand
we will fall into the snow together
leaving angel wings behind
Our bountiful snow brought out birds galore to our feeders. We have been visited by cardinals, mourning dove, titmice, chickadees, juncos, house and gold finches, several species of sparrow and all manner of woodpeckers.
This handsome fellow is a pileated woodpecker native to our woods. According to allaboutbirds.org, which has a wonderful website with beautiful photos and videos, ‘the Pileated Woodpecker is one of the biggest, (16-19 inches long) most striking forest birds on the continent. It’s nearly the size of a crow, black with bold white stripes down the neck and a flaming-red crest. Look (and listen) for Pileated Woodpeckers whacking at dead trees and fallen logs in search of their main prey, carpenter ants, leaving unique rectangular holes in the wood. The nest holes these birds make offer crucial shelter to many species including swifts, owls, ducks, bats, and pine martens.’
They are a shy bird, seldom hanging around our cedars. But during this cold and snowy week, they found our suet cakes – much to the chagrin of the smaller woodpeckers, the downies, hairies, and sapsuckers.
We always get so excited to see them – most of the time they are spotted flying across the road or through the woods. They remind me of what I would think a pterodactyl would look like – they have such a wide wingspan and a swooping flight.
And we have had two visit at the same time – each taking turns hammering away at the suet cake.
What joy these beautiful creatures bring – all part of the course of our seasons!
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