A hummingbird flitters by,
The glittering feeder gone dry.
Guilty, I note,
Unwholesomely, upon my feathered friends, I dote.
To watch and claim my own wee-beast
I succor them from best to least.
A flighty friend, too, am I,
To wander hungry, expectations sigh.
Where to feed,
To fill my need?
The easy sugar-treat
Weakness does entreat.
Culinary goodness command,
Time, patience, skill demand.
Does the tiny bird entreat?
“Don’t follow me to water-sweet.
Rather look and seek,
Nature’s blossoms—humble, meek.”
The shiny bottle drained.
All manner of creatures claimed.
The fake and unnatural retreat.
Their honest virtue must compete.
Plant flowering bushes to abound!
Nectar options our homes surround.
Seek not the easy-life,
Without work, sweat, and myriad-strife.
Fly to that which our Creator did intend,
Our wills to bend.
To humble flower from the Earth grows true.
Or from emptiness, we shall rue.
Photo https://pixabay.com/photos/hummingbird-bird-hibiscus-nature-5171798/
A. K. Frailey
As a teacher with a degree in Elementary Education who has taught in big cities and small towns, Ann Frailey homeschooled all of her children. She manages her rural homestead with her kids and their numerous critters, authors books, and writes a Friday blog alternating between short stories and her My Road Goes Ever On series. Put Your Mind in a Better Place—Entertainment for Life
Thank you for posting this. Hummingbirds are special to me, and I feel a bit melancholy this time of year when I know they’re getting ready to migrate south.