Winter Birds

The morning sun reaches its
golden shafts of light on a
brace of doves resting on our
porch dozing comfortably 
above the seeds scattered
for our avian neighbours who
don't mind sharing with
squirrels also busy foraging
on these cold and windy
days fit for neither man nor
unsheltered beast. Above, at
the feeder pole-high, cardinals,
goldfinches and redpolls
share only between themselves
and so windily, frigidly 
inclement is it that tiny
puffs of air expelled between
cracking sunflower seeds
rise like the spirit within
soon chilled to invisibility.