Early March, Five am

Two cardinals take up
a call and response
this morning,
one trilling up,
the other down.

They are calling us awake
from the night,
from the long winter
when they were mostly quiet,
holding their song inside
for warmth.

Early March in Missouri,
its not quiet spring,
even though I can
feel it, see it
in the tiny buds
swelling delicate.

I want to breathe
a sigh of relief,
let my own song out,
but i know about
the possibility
of a killing freeze
in the next month.

But the cardinals?
They enjoy
this warmish hopeful dawn
without hesitation.
Today,
Its all they know
and so they sing.

By Maria Brady-Smith
Photo by Mike Smith