Sixteen years after…

When my vision is failing,
My fingers trembling,
My knees buckling,
I still thank the good Lord for the singing,
The tweeting, chattering and clicking,
The northern cardinals slur-slurring,
The chickadees dee-deeing,
The ravens and crows caw-cawing,
The doves coo-cooing,
The woodpeckers charr-charring,
The sparrows chirp-chirping,
The magpies screech-screeching,
The robins yeep-yeeping,
The yellow warblers chip-chipping,
The cedar waxwings call-calling,
The common starlings whist-whistling,
The common grackles squeak-squeaking,
The blackbirds gurg-gurgling,
The coots croak-croaking,
The sandpipers wheet-wheeting,
The ducks quack-quacking,
The geese honk-honking,
And myself hum-humming
With this rapturous orchestra playing
Til the last notes come a-knocking
As my heart ends a-beating.
Jamison/04072021