February 26: Just Outside the Window

Just outside the window, a robin works,

rooting around on the February ground,

no longer frozen hard but not yet thawed.

He scatters the remnants of last fall’s leaves

as he tries to find worms or whatever else

it is that robins eat. He pauses, meets my gaze,

and then hops away out of my view, giving me

hope for all of us who peck away, looking for

something that will sustain us just for today.

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