HERALDS

It’s early morning. Still dark. I can barely see trees 

yet robins are a-hopping, hummingbirds a-humming. 

I decide I'm awake. Heat up a cup of cold-brew coffee.

Now a red squirrel chases its tail ‘round a huge jack pine. 

“Oh, that my life was that simple!” I say, sipping.

I sit down with my computer, glance up at the still waters, 

check email, phone messages, appointments, endless etcetera.

Hmm. The flowers already have their makeup on. 

Looks like the Black-eyed Susans stayed out late again. 

Will this be a good day or a “Get me outta here!”? 

Now I see a gaggle of one, two…seventeen Canadians

sashaying single-file down the lake to their feeding grounds.

My question to them: Why not fly? Minutes vs. hours.

But I haven’t seen any of them checking their smartwatches. 

Grand scheming, though, is my life any different? 

I, too, did this exact same thing yesterday morning. 

Here come the chipmunk twins for breakfast. 

Can’t they read the sign? BIRDS ONLY! Seriously!

Why don’t I see any of them checking their calendars, 

their to-do lists, social media accounts or finances?

To my overthinking mind their lives seem enviably simple,

yet they, too, are fulfilling some larger-than-life purpose 

just by doing what they’re doing, aren’t they? My guess is yes. 

In fact, they’re doing it right now. With me. To me. For me.

Breaking in. Breaking through. Breaking up. Breaking forth.

Heralding a different way of being in the world.

Each of them. All of them. Messengers from on high. 

Some of them even have wings.