dawn with the birds

when dawn emerges in the foothills, 
and the blue jays squawk loudly
I scatter peanuts, corn, and
meal worms to console them,
admittedly though, the mealworms
are for a murder…of crows
who gather when the jays have 
quieted and had their fill,
when the sun is high in the sky,
they feast and jabber, hopping 
happily around my earnest offering
while a lone hawk screeches nearby
not at all interested in the corn,
the peanuts, not even the mealworms,
no, the hawk fancies warm-blooded fare
a mourning dove who lingered seconds 
too long at the seed feeder, or perhaps
a finch, young squirrel, or chipmunk, 
though the latter, I have observed
are quite adept at evading capture
and ultimate slaughter…there are bees
buzzing nearby gathering nectar, dusting
pollen as they flit, and hummingbirds
hover directly in from of me until
we are eye to eye, their wings humming,
every morning there is want, 
expectation, joy, connection, unspoken 
acknowledgement amidst 
the looming shadow of carnage, 
drama, survival, life encapsulated
in the simplicity of nature, who
in her magnificent wisdom sustains us
in an unbroken cycle, the seasons,
dawn and dusk, day and night, where
nothing is personal, malevolent, or cruel
i linger long letting the morning gird me,
as I listen, observe, and breathe 
sweetness of a new day before
venturing into the harsh reality 
where self-absorbed humans deny
we are all from dust and to dust 
we are destined to return 
the dust on my feet and in my lungs
remind me to walk gently…to be kind

~kat
Much love, peace, and glimmers to you! ✨💚✨