At Winter’s end

In lows of March

A friend said: watch the crows

It’s fanciful, he said

But wise, and came from one who knows.

⦿

Far below the nest

that swayed, I wandered

With streaming eyes to field beyond

Where two dark shapes

Carved the air on frozen pond.

⦿

Mere hair’s width from the icy death

A swooping, chasing joy

A courtship rash and bold their only care

Pulled upwards to the virgin moon

In winds that to a human bring despair

⦿

The tears within my eyes

Bled no emotion, save of chill

The precision of their love against the icy sky

A perfect union in pursuit of which

I find my head and heart of words run dry

⦿

Later, as the darkness

Gathered frozen black in Winter’s arms

I watched the rocking of the nests that must

In our tall trees

And relearned all I thought I knew of trust.

⦿

Be here, be welcome warm

Enduring crows in love

For one proud gaze, sliced into time

You had the whole of me

And only breathing took your flight from mine

⦿

©️Stephen Tanham

Stephen Tanham is a director of the Silent Eye School of Consciousness, a not-for-profit organisation that helps people find the reality and essence of their existence via home-based, low-cost and supervised correspondence courses.

His personal blog, Sun in Gemini, is at stevetanham.wordpress.com