Change in Landscape

The lone cardinal sat on his throne

He marveled on how peaceful this day was
The robin had taken a day off decreeing that it was just too cold

The snow sat steady on the branches
Each limb asking for a reprieve
But each flake landed as if it had practiced this before

The cardinal thought about the stream below
Rushing a little more than yesterday
No deer to trample by today, the water just too deep

He could hear the squirrels chattering in their nest
Just the day before the cat bird yelled as one
Nearly knocked him off his perch

But today the cardinal sat alone with just the chiming of the wind
The creek of the branches below and the soft flutter
of bright white snow