This morning
I was surrounded
By a conclave of cardinals
Young ones
Whose feathers have not yet blossomed into
The bright reds
And luscious deep browns of adulthood
The ones who flit
Back and forth and dart
In and out of my aviary
Also known as my deck
Where morning coffee
And quiet contemplation
Are my other companions
The conclave of cardinals
Called back and forth
To each other
As if to say “watch me”
And then they hopped across the treetops
Sending down
Shower after shower of
Last night’s raindrops
I can almost hear them giggling at me
As the raindrops
Avalanche down from above
They get my attention
And I watch them closely
I listen as well
Because I am certain that they are saying to me
“All is not lost
“Look around
“Be delighted”
And so I do
And so I am
Poem and photos by C. Alicia Randolph, 28 August 2019
This poem began percolating over my second cup of coffee, as I contemplated the news of our world and grieved.
The photos were taken after listening to and following the advice of the birds.
