Storm Crows...

Branches turn from white,
     to silver, to gleaming red;
candles of frozen colors
     changing as the sun's warmth
melts a little more of the top
     of the frozen landscape
lying sparkling ahead of me...

A white sky fallen to earth,
     twinkling and shrinking in the light,
hard as rock and slippery smooth
     caution cries out, "beware!"
with every hesitant move

Birds sipping water
     from icicles dripping in the glare
Squirrels sliding from tree to tree
     upended and pretending not to notice
or at least appear not to care
     Not even deer are quiet when they move
at least those that dare
     Tells me that i also should prepare
to hunker down and wait
     another storm approaches
and i would not want to be caught late...

The Storm Crows fly
     screaming at the sky
looking for morsels
     before the full force of the storm
forces them down
     Searching the ground
for whatever may be found
     what's left is what's good enough
for some it's all they've known...