The goldfinches welcomed me back
After my walk
A flock, I couldn’t count
Twittering in a berried hawthorn.
Then off, they rise and divide
Swoop and rejoin
Without any plan to their flight paths
How do they not clash?
But intertwine, weave together
And land in the middle of the field
And having settled there for a while
They rise again
And back to the bush
All chattering about their adventure
Agitating amongst the red haws.
Then again they fly off, settle, then back again
The whole cycle
The whole commute
Over and over.
Today I only heard the wind, and saw
Fluffy clouds of oak trees on the horizon
The last of their summer green
Against a slate grey sky.
No adventures today for the goldfinch.
Just the berries hanging on an empty tree.
Perhaps they have more sense than I
To shelter from approaching storm
And wait til the sun can
Light up their wing bands
Dancing on the air once more