Wintertide

She rested in the light of the sun

But its warmth was beyond her reach,  

As the iced winds pushed against her

With the fury of an angry mob.

 

Though she sat quietly observing nature

She felt her intrusion disrupting,

Then a flock of rowdy starlings

Swooped in to the treetops around her.

 

She thought of her younger years

When dreams were gathered together,

And of her later years, when dreams

gathered dust like unused porcelain.

 

Then of her last years when dreams

Became the past and released to fly away,

Like a lovely group of mourning doves

Taking flight in a rush of wings.

 

She thought she’d take a rest from thought

And enjoy this commonest of days,

To let the spirit of winter embrace her

In its cloak of hallow sweet nothings.

She lingered awhile longer

Until she wore a crown of golden twilight,

And drifted in quiet acquiescence

As she sighed the softest of wistful sighs.

Can anyone identify this bird?

It showed up at the birdbath November 24.  

Maybe a type of warbler?

The birdbath is 16" in diameter.

The bird doesn't show up well in the photos,

as I was too far away and the leaf litter camouflages it,

but I included all its different poses.

Yellow-rumped (Myrtle) Warbler

Identified by Kenneth Cole Schneider

(see comments)

I wrote.  I rewrote.  I rewrote the rewrote.  I rewrote the rewrote of the rewrote, and on, and on, and on.  Then I called it quits.  I'm a person of few words this week.

November 30, 10:00 am ~ It is sleeting outside my door, with a low in the 20's tonight.  Fall is definitely over.