ON THE SECOND DAY OF APRIL
This morning as I drove down our street
(No April fool!) I saw a real bald eagle
Perched high up in a leafless tree,
Feathers held close in the frosty air,
Keeping his eagle eye fixed upon
The newly black surface of Brickyard Pond
So recently rid of its lid of ice.
I’m sure he was thinking it would be nice
To spot a fishy shape moving there
Or a careless robin along the shore.
At breakfast I had been pleased to see
A house finch in the blue spruce tree
Below my window, ready to hop
Back into the sheltered nest in its top-
Most branches, last year’s nestling,
No doubt on the lookout for a mate,
Thinking of making a tentative date
As soon as the sun warms up the air
To check out the housing situation
And get some eggs ready to sit on.
At last, when I had got back home,
Ready to close the garage door,
A cardinal bugled his announcement calls:
“I’m here! I’m here! Don’t come near!”
I got the message loud and clear:
Elusive spring is finally here!
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