A slow but yielding sunrise
Bright light peeking through
Night’s dark shroud
Orange, yellow, pink
Beyond the Cliff Roses
And above the tallest Pinions
Where Juncos roost
Their feathers ruffled
Against winter’s chill.

A small herd of young bucks
Meandering through the Junipers
Breakfasting
Before heading into the dense forest
And sleep
One looks up
Frozen
He listens, smells the air
And waits
While the others continue to feast
Satisfied
He lowers his head
Leading them into the forest.

The Juncos are waking
Chattering
Looking for their own feast
As they fly back and forth
From limb to limb
Across a coverlet of snow
Scrub Jays join in the search
Their blue feathers
Stretched
And lovely.

A bobcat slinks
Close to the ground
He is hunting
He, too, stops
To look and listen
Before moving on
Stealthily
Past shriveled Cliff Roses
Into the shadowy
Swathe
Of the forest.

The sun has risen
A fresh blue sky
Bursting
With approval
While birds sing
Heavy-eyed animals to sleep
Blessed with
Another new day.
.