Tableau

So away fly the birds with their song

When the days become short, nights are long

The hard ground will be dusted with snow

And the evergreens' needles will glow

Left behind, only ones that belong

In the winter, harsh winds they'll be strong

Moving snow drifts and people along

The tall grass and the tree trunks don't grow

Away fly the birds

In the cold, heavy clouds do prolong

Hoary frosts that cling tight to the lawns

And the mammals that burrow below

Don't emerge so their numbers won't show

In the stillness of snow-covered dawn

Away fly the birds

(c) 2017 Miriam Ruff

[A rondeau in anapestic trimeter.]