Cardinal
Oh, Cardinal
You great scarlet bird.
You hop along my porch rail
But you don't say a word.
Defiant
So Defiant
Of nature's camouflage.
There is no way to hide
Your bright red entourage.
Orange
Bright Orange.
Your sharp pointy beak.
Gathers the worms and the seeds
All the meals that you seek.
Feed
Feed her.
This mate that you court.
Such a noble young man
You dance and cavort.
Sing
Sing sweet
You and your friends
I'll love your songs every morning
'Til winter comes 'round again.
Babies
Your babies
I'll meet them come next year.
When in the Fall, they'll alight on my porch
And bring my morning's cheer.
Cardinal
Oh, Cardinal
I'm so glad you're here, you see.
I knew your parents and now you have come
Singing just for me.
I live pretty far out in the country. The birds here are really awesome. I love to go out late at night and listen to the Barred Owl or spend an afternoon sitting in our back meadow to watch the breeding pair of Peregrine Falcons that have a nest in one of our Methuselah oaks.
But every morning as the sun rises and I have my coffee on the back porch ... the Cardinals always seem to be the early risers. Their songs begin with the very first crack of light. They seem to have gotten used to me, as they now land on my porch rail, pretty close to me.
They sing and court mates and sometimes, I swear, they just kinda bop around on the railing and watch ME!
They are simply beautiful and I LOVE having my coffee with them each morning!