after days of days and days
of temps in the minus teens and snow
it's time once again to go out and shovel
overcast skies and missing mittens
have you a bit grumpy
just get on and on with it
but once you get outside a surprise:
someone has been there before you
the walk
the driveway
everything
cleared
even before you get started your work is done
cheers to helpful neighbours
cheers to thoughtful gestures
cheers to taking care of one another
now and in days
and days
and days
to come
it's a cold day to be
a postal carrier
a chickadee
a snow shoveler
a neighbourhood cat
a bluejay
a wood chopper
a dog walker
a magpie
a squirrel
just about anybody
bundle up peeps
out in the early afternoon
attending to an icy driveway
overhead
sound and then a magical sight:
a formation
a skein of geese
(apparently 'gaggles' only on land)
more gathered together than i've seen in years
a curious sight in winter
but winters like so much else lately
curiouser
and curiouser
puzzling it all
threading
feathering
skeins
the wooden gazebo feeder
is far too small for the persistent magpie
but she keeps on coming anyway
wings ablazing
hope in flight
