A flock of bright
coloured paper birds
flew long east
across seven provinces
over mile upon mile of snow
white prairies, lakes,
hills, rocks, roads
dark green firs
up the wide windswept
St-Laurent’s river
down Wolastoqi’s winding
beauteous frozen length
sparkling beneath blue
bright winter cold
snap skies to land
by full moon
amid the gnarled brown
branches and succulent
shiny green leaves
of the Widow Wyile’s jade
plant where they were
perfectly at home
their tiny orange beaks
uniting their multitudinous
winged long half heart bodies
with bulging bellies
cartographic, crepe, pretty
patterned, spotted, solid
blue, green, pink, red
wandering warblers
of warm friendship