WINTER UNFORGIVING

in a winter unforgiving
be it sacrifice or sin
eerily cloaked in the white
of piety, no where to be found
in this, the season of lonesome times
we watch as the pigeons across the way
head for the park ready to scramble
and scrounge for a crumb or two
looking for battle, their survival depends
on it, for little sustenance found, they will fight
to the  death defending what they find
along  with the homeless man who
claims this as his home away home

by Michael Perry