Full of seed, the bird feeder hangs
from the cottonwood tree
we planted years ago.
Even without the birds,
it is beautiful—
dangling midair
with its copper perches
and glass column.
This morning in the news,
we are going to war with each other—
either with words or with missiles.
It seems clear
that we are our own problem.
No wonder we try to bring beauty in close—
the garden with its open faced pansies,
the hummingbird feeder with its hold
of sugar water.
The battles are not
what will save us,
it’s beauty—not just
outside us, but in us.
All day, let us look
for ways be like this brown bird
at the feeder, see
how it gathers light
in its open wings.