Bare Tree
 
The tree was bare except for a nest.
The sky around it was dark.
 
A breeze pushed away any warmth
from the scene that was wintery stark.
 
A cowboy inside a line shack sat cold
then lit a match with a spark.
 
The barren tree was outside his window
gently held, in the candle lights arc.
 
He watched the nest and remembered
the sound of a meadowlark.
 
Then he slept with his blankets drawn close
and dreamed of birds in a park.
©Steve Dirksen