Finch Of Fortitude

Finch Of Fortitude
© Surazeus
2018 04 13

Alice huddles under thicket of branches
still dripping from rain scattered by the storm,
shivering as gold sun breaks through ragged clouds
and makes everything glitter with red fire.

The purple finch flies out of the bright sun
and grips twisted branch of the apple tree,
black eyes gleaming with wisdom of the storm,
head-feathers swept back from flying bleak winds.

The purple finch flutters delicate wings,
splashing her face with drops from the wind storm,
as gold sun gleams on its round yellow breast,
then cocks its head and watches her in silence.

"Finch of Fortitude on old apple tree,
if you can face the fiercest thrashing storms,
purple beak clenched with grim determination,
then I too can face all adversity."

Crawling from the thicket on hands and knees,
Alice stands and stretches arms to the sky,
cramped from huddling forever through wild storm,
then smiles at glow of warm rays on her face.

Plucking ripe apple from old twisted tree,
Alice eats sweet juice and spits out black seeds
where the purple finch snatches them from grass
as they feast together after the storm.