male and female fly
never a moment alone
side by side in love
bright red ~ reddish brown
my feeder is your buffet~
eat and sing thank you
bright is our color
fun and pretty feathered birds
call us cardinals
Saw two bright red cardinals fighting,
Or that’s how it did appear.
Maybe ‘twas a mating problem,
Though to us it wasn’t clear.
Wonder if a nearby female
Had a stake in who would win,
Or if she’d reject both fighters
For what was a cardinal sin!
A loved one from heaven sent
northern cardinals
red or faded with sweet songs ~~
build nests together
I see, T: you are with grandma,
flying with the cardinals,
like you said you would be,
in Greensboro, NC, my home.
There is no before or after,
there is the resounding now,
and this memory that holds meaning
encircled by the ones
I want to forget,
your death being one of them.
As Robin Williams said
in ‘What Dreams May Come,"
“a whole human life
is just a heartbeat
here in heaven.”
Well, I am not there yet,
nor am I heading towards your heaven.
I am trying to mold a life of purpose,
just like everyone else.
I still hear your laugh,
clear as the birds,
who sometimes look back at me.
Please, let me fly
with you and grandma
when it’s my time
to go home.
In Heaven, she has joy indescribable by words,
Surrounded by her husband and loved ones,
As well as her favourite kinds of birds
Bathing in a fountain which always runs.
Red cardinals flying gracefully everywhere,
Scarlet feathers falling onto her hair.
Her soul freely frolicking without care.
Trinkets in her home mean she's also there.
In her eternal awareness, she'll still observe
All the ways in which her family shall serve,
She'll be there for each of them at every curve.
She'll ask God to give what they most deserve.
Red cardinals placed everywhere in her home,
Reminding family she's both there and here.
In Heaven, she completes reading her tome.
She now knows she lived a life she held dear.
There once was an old Pope from Rome
who had the Good Book a huge tome
an altar ego and mass appeal
so he made the Vatican home
2015 he addressed the environment
on climate change caused by man
and issued a Catholic Church encyclical
the first-ever since Popes began
let's trust instructing his cardinals
to avoid any more scandals
when pontificating and preaching to the choir
to burn less incense and light fewer candles
altho' it's a slippery slope here's the dope
and no I won't soft-soap
there's not much hope of Pope on a rope
but I can cope so I won't mope
now hear my voice as it's a choice
if I may be quite so bold
religion is discretionary not hereditary
and the herd of sheep in the fold should be told
I miss my mother quite often
so she sends me cardinals
they are bright red and fat
they bring a sense of hope and peace
reminding me that I did not lose my mother
she will live forever
the cardinals she sends bring me hope
I feel lucky, they manifest new ideas
they are powerful, their messages clear
and I miss my mother less.
Why didn’t you use cardinals? Asked the one who is never pleased.
Her harsh words used to injure my feelings, take me to my knees.
Today I said, “bluebirds look so pretty with valentines, red.”
She did not make another comment, this non-artsy type, Ms. Fred.
As the cardinal streaks across the sky
Leaving a trail of brilliant red as it flies
The woodpecker methodically
Peaks away at the distant tree
The mighty bluebird looking royal in blue
Taking over the feeder it rules
Hidden in the trees
Is the black crows of three
The doves can be heard chirping
As they gather in a grouping
The finches small but mighty
Take the berries from the trees lightly
Soaring high in the sky
The bald eagles fly
The hawk screeches
Grabbing pry as it reaches
The bats soaring through the night
Scaring those who see it in flight
The owls are asking who
Are they speaking to you
When suddenly the hummingbird appears
Hovering near to my ears
Sending me to a place of calm and peace
Feeling my soul release
male cardinal feeds
upon last years pepper seeds
in between rain storms
a delightful time to look
out my kitchen window pane
Christmas cardinals arrive to say
Our loved ones in heaven are not far away
Swoop past a window to give a cheery hi
Reminding us our loved ones don’t die
Giving us comfort and Christmas joy
Usually spied first by a girl or boy
Christmas cardinals; messengers galore
Mystical, magical, these birds I adore
bright red~reddish brown
my feeder is your buffet~
eat and sing thank you
Date Written: 8/17/2021
5 Place
Songbird haiku Contest Judged: 8/23/2021
Sponsored by: Tania Kitchin Cardinals 575
baby cardinals --
nestlings with wide open mouths
waiting for mama
7/20/21
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