What we should really see

by Grahaeme Barrasford Young

Nothing hard about winter
(iced water, chilled moss;
rodents safely tunnelled,
ptarmigan, deer, scrape;
eagles live on failure).

What is hard, are arid hills
under flattering blue,
without water, no seed,
absences fur and feather
do nothing to alleviate.

Death of grass ends them
more certainly than snow.