Sunlight Breaks Through The

I have a wonderful, mostly secluded, backyard. It faces a large wooded area of tall trees, while giant pines form a fence-line on either side of my house. It is home to hawks, crows, an owl and many beautiful songbirds who frequent our bird feeder. Regardless the season, I've developed a special fondness for cardinals-so much so, that they have inspired several of my haiku! On a quiet winter morning, it's stunning to see the striking red brilliance of a cardinal perched upon a rooftop blanketed with snow, his loud cheery song brightening even the grayest of days. When we've flung bedroom windows open in summer, it's the cardinal, whose unique sing-song breaks through the trees, wakening me each morning. It begins around four, when daylight first brightens my room; a flutter of wings, a choir of songbirds, each with a tweet louder than the others, until only the cardinal, with his red bushy crown and the beautiful song, is left to answer the rising of the sun — and, the ringing of my alarm clock! It's a very pleasant way to start the day!