Cardinals
Earliest feeders
at morning’s first light
Latest feeders
at evening’s last light
Always an order to their feeding
Males, brilliant red
always dine first, but
females, tan with a tinge of red
are not far behind
Hear their sharp calls back and forth:
“chip, chip, chip”
Once a mate is spotted
we hear their distinctive song:
“Cheer, cheer, cheer, what, what, what, what.”
On this quiet frosty November morn
their voices carry, like gunshots
telling us it’s time
to get out of bed
and be about our day
Poetic Alchemist 