Today as I walked in the woods, I paused
at a place where the birds were in full song.
A symphony of starlings nestled in the reeds,
hiding out, yet I hear them, loud and clear.
The baritone of grebes, effortlessly
gliding into the water from land,
And the cormorants providing the bass notes
adding to the symphony.
The audience – a row of Canada geese
on the edge of the pond.
Then I notice ants, on the smooth bark
of tree in front of me.
I was probably too close for their comfort,
and they made a detour around me.
Because then I noticed the whole row of them
coming from the bottom and coming down from the top,
scampering faster and faster up and down.
And in the distance I saw a leaf finally giving up
it’s connection to the tree
and floating down to the dry grass
to become one with the soil over the winter.
Further on some acorn woodpeckers
were holding a meeting
four at one time perched on one tree.
I could tell from the profile of one,
that it was poised and ready to excavate for bugs.
The call of a red shouldered hawk greeting me
as I came down the hill, to the finish line,
the place where I started.
It didn’t show itself to me
But I know that unique call anywhere.
© Bette Smith
9/5/2020
Photo credit: “Acorn Woodpeckers” painting by James R. Reynolds
