Winter Mountain Birds

Learning from You, One Day at a Time

In the depth of winter,

a small bird in the mountains

wears the finest winter coat.

With fluffed-up feathers, it traps a layer of warmth

and beats its wings, enduring the cold.

With such a tiny body, it eats without ceasing;

its metabolism never comes to rest.

It shivers itself warm, raising its heat,

working its small muscles tirelessly.

Instead of the insects it once enjoyed in summer,

in the lonely, freezing winter

it feeds on berries and seeds,

quietly easing hunger and pressing on.

At night, to hide its fragile body,

it seeks tree hollows, cracks in rocks, deep bushes.

Wise enough to prepare ahead,

it keeps a winter store of hidden food.

At night, they gather close together,

sharing body warmth as they sleep side by side.

They do not survive because they are “strong,”

but because they adapt with "wisdom".

Like the small bird in midwinter,

I want to live with insight and wisdom,

with humility and steady effort,

enduring each day with gratitude.

*these are my own paintings*