Ode to a Northern Flicker

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Ode to a Northern Flicker

 

More than the hairy of the trees, you wander on the grass

Where there are dangers in your day and pitfalls you must pass;

You pause by stumps and hide in blooms; you dawdle in the weeds

Yet seem assured about yourself and where your boldness leads

 

A scarlet mark beneath your crown suggests you would be known;

But golden shafts are hidden in the wings that are not shown

You flicker on the grass you love; you glitter in the shade;

You disappear into the day, and yet you do not fade.