you, feathered friend
the only way to be

you come and go
leave a note
wander on your way

the joy you leave
a constant companion
i hear the melody

away, down yonder
where the cattails play
and the dogfish stray
and the rented heart longs to stay.

Picture:  Tree Swallow.  Handsome aerialists with deep-blue iridescent backs and clean white fronts, Tree Swallows are a familiar sight in summer fields and wetlands across northern North America. They chase after flying insects with acrobatic twists and turns, their steely blue-green feathers flashing in the sunlight. Tree Swallows nest in tree cavities; they also readily take up residence in nest boxes.