A Thousand Miles
A tiny chill
the flowers know
Orioles have left
flying singly at night
a thousand miles
south
Sunflowers settle
facing east
some heads now bowing
make seed squirrels
fatten on their oil
Other blooms
remain upright
Males flew ahead
Their mates linger
soaking in heat
now the feeder’s empty
Their oriole blaze
catches my grief
bright birds
gone ‘til spring