The last throes of winter

The wind is back with a vengeance
           just when we thought it safe
to say that the winter was over
           the wind is rattling wooden fences
the tree branches with their fresh
           green leaves are thrashing violently
and the birds are totally confused
           not sure what melodies to sing

or whether to sing at all :
           it’s really quite an agitated world
the sort that disturbs dogs
           that may prefer to sleep it out
in their baskets or go for a long
           romp on the heath chasing sticks or
whatever curve ball they are thrown
            On Thursday I saw a fox moving

in the undergrowth outside Lewisham
           its bright coat barely visible
but I could tell that it had had
           a good winter and was in good shape
for the coming summer months
           it is their world after all as much
as it is ours so nothing to begrudge
           and foxes are so true to type

they know nothing of betrayal
           nothing of deceit being as honest
as the day is long and they are such
           shrewd observers of human behaviour
they know their place and they know exactly 
           when to come and when to go

John Lyons