duty

the sentry
guarding the feeder
as dawn wakes the day

The Queen’s Scepter

knighthood
is bestowed upon
all the glories and duties of snow

the barn endured
dutifully
despite the wear

perfectly pretty
the petaled
mulch

in the duty
of labor lies
the virtue of purpose

home sweet home
the many duties
of the maple tree

in service
to the season
cliffside color clings

his work
is his vocation
the duty of pollination

fulfilling ecclesiastical duties
of bearing beauty and witness
carrying divinity’s spirit

Scratch and cluck, peck and lay
so is the sum of the chicken’s day.