Winter’s Masque

Photo by Raphael Brasileiro on Pexels.com

Rooks settle
squawking on willow,
blotches of black
against interminable grey.
Patches of snow remain,
dappling the manky grass,
where a lone sparrow
hops around, in hope.
The limp Union Flag
smothers St George
in the dank, freezing air,
a nation sleepwalking
in a bizarre masque.
Winter’s privation bites
deeper this year;
do the birds suspect —
do they know?
And where do we go?

Copyright Francis 2020

Black-and-White Birds — tanja britton (Reblog)

The combination of the colors black and white is considered elegant and classy, not only with regard to fashion, but also when it comes to feather arrangements, as many posts by fellow bird-loving bloggers attest. When I assembled my avian portraits a few months back, my only intention was to share a selection of Colorado’s […]

Black-and-White Birds — tanja britton

* Handbook of birds.

Haiku: ‘Presence of the Reaper’

Photo by freestocks.org on Pexels.com

Cackle of magpie
Coarse caws of gathering crows
Feast of the Reaper

Copyright Francis Barker 2020

Haiku: ‘Arctic Visitors’

Photo by Wendy Wei on Pexels.com

Skeins from far away
Where tundra has turned to snow
Welcome visitors

Copyright Francis Barker 2020

Haiku: ‘Perspectives on Rain’

Photo by Ave Calvar Martinez on Pexels.com

Rain seals the darkness
Roosting birds watch silently
Humans mourn the day

Copyright Francis Barker 2020