TODAY IS DECEMBER ’21

THE SAME RITUAL EVERY YEAR

IT IS DECEMBER

YOUNG BROWN SWAN

BEING KICKED OUT

HE WON’T LEAVE

HIS COMFORT IS YESTERDAY

HE HAS TO GO

NO MUSIC CHARTS HIS GOING

BITTEN

PUSHED

ROARS FROM HIS PARENTS

SKID ADLE

GO

DON’T COME BACK

WE LOVED YOU YESTERDAY

YESTERDAY IS NOT TODAY

THIS DOOR IS CLOSED

BOLTED

HERON

WE WALKED THE PURE RIVER

IN OUR BARE FEET

SOFT WITH SAND AND PEBBLES

HUNTED PINKEENS

WITH OUR JAM JARS

CAUGHT A REDBREAST

PLUCKED WATERCRESS

BROUGHT IT HOME FOR SALAD.

I MET A WREN

STRETCHED OUT ON THE ROAD

CAUGHT IN AN UNGUARDED MOMENT

TAKEN OUT BY A CAR

IMMEDIATELY QUENCHING ITS RASPING

SMALLEST OF ALL BIRDS

PROTECTOR OF THE WOODS

LIES ON THE GROUND

LIFELESS

I MOURN ITS PASSING

I PICK A PRIMROSE

LEAVE A TEAR BEHIND

I WANDER BY THE OAK

RINGED WITH DAFFODILS

I WANT TO BE ACCEPTED

IN THESE WOODS

AND REASON MYSELF

IN THE BLUE SKY OF HOPE

How quickly the waters run

Beneath the budding Easter Lilly

You welcome us to the morning

Bringing us peace and tranquility