The Woodpecker of Coburn Loop

It is a red-bellied woodpecker, adorned in speckled livery,

Sporting a red cockade.

It is large, with a substantial beak, and

It grips the feeder’s side with taloned feet,

Arcing its great beak just so,

Pecking out seeds, wasting many upon the ground,

But eventually grasping a kernel in its beak.

It shoots off to the oak tree,

Climbs the bark without effort, and

After it has worked on its kernel,

Returns to the feeder for more.

It is a spirit-lifter,

Catching the low point of my afternoon,

Lifting, inviting me into its world of beauty.

--August 24, 2013