‘Twas the day after Christmas and all ‘round the house,
Not a creature was
stirring; not even a titmouse.
The feeders were hung on each hook with care,
With hopes that a
rare one soon would perch there.
The seeds were varied and carefully placed,
While visions of redpolls
through my mind I chased.
Papa in his work clothes and I in my nightgown,
Just settled in for a
long winters bird count.
Out on the lawn there was nothing but squirrels,
And a few winter snowflakes
dancing in swirls.
I sat by the window staring at the birdbath,
I was ready to count;
I’d practiced my math.
The sun had just risen; the sky it was blue,
And I waited for
feathers to flutter so true.
When what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a red-shouldered
hawk so regal and near.
He sat so majestically there in that tree,
I knew in an instant
where the birds would all be.
They had flown and scattered away from the nest,
Each hoping that they’d
pass this difficult test.
That hawk sat so quiet and waited so still,
Til a great mob of crows came over the hill.
They shouted and yelled and cawed him by name,
They thought this would be a right funny game.
He took to his wing and gave up the fight,
And away from the
tree and the yard he took flight.
But I heard him exclaim as he flew far away,
“I’ll be back again
later today!”
-Jennifer Reck
