Sunday morning along the pond

Mist shimmers

Over reedy pond

Gold finches flock

Dressed in muted winter gowns

Sing four note ostinati

From tree to tree

Green hooded mallard

Glides graceful

Courts brown mottled female

Along the southern shore

Ghost white egret

Stalks the shallows

Great blue heron

Sits low on water

Lowers legs, rises up

Like an offshore oil derrick

Coils neck to chest

Lifts awkwardly above water

Long wings pull east

Curves north over trees

Disappears into the west

Grey legs stretched behind

Patient egret strikes

Stands still, breakfast in bill

Swallows, shakes wings

Follows heron’s arc into the west

Among low hanging limbs

Mallards litigate their future

Finches stay until

First leaf blower whirls awake

1-10-21