Northern Cardinal chirps in youthful vigor
making social calls to long tables
ferrying art supplies and refreshments
among elders who watch through wise eyes.
Mourning Dove flutters with paint vials
distributing pigments from table to table.
Downy Woodpecker
kneels down to eye level,
meeting a watery blue-eyed gaze
and guiding this eager resident
through paint selection.
The Yellow, no, make that
Purple-Bellied Finch frolics
with pigment-dipped brushes
bringing bristle to miniature roofs.
Tufted Titmouse smiles shyly
and holds a wooden birdhouse
at an angle, all the better for
the painter’s access.
Blue Jay twirls and shares facts
about feather hues
and winged behavior
as she smiles shyly down
at the wrinkled face
beaming back up at her.
Baltimore Oriole sings and shares
culture across generations.
proudly showing how
her tee shirt and leggings
depict Oriole colorways.
Red Shouldered Hawk
serves lemon nectar
and stories of community service
while steadying a palate
that threatens to tumble
into the artist's lap.
A garden of smiles
bloom on the faces
of these valued guests,
assisted living residents
who enjoy the visit
of a flock
of native chirping birds,
a troop of doers,
helpers, leaders,
artists, inventors,
confidants.
The birds who swirl
around the long room
looking for people to help,
or wooden houses to hold,
now break into
a long-shared song:
🎶🎶Make New Friends
But Keep the Old
One is Silver
And the Other’s Gold 🎶🎶
And a handful of matriarchs join in,
warbling at the ring of girls
dressed as birds
from their seats at the art tables:
🎶🎶 A Circle is round
It has no end;
That’s how Long
I wish to Be your Friend! 🎶🎶
Generations come and go
but the branches will always sway,
winged creatures will always flutter,
and the Scouts will always
be the roots of any healthy ecosystem.
