Oregon Dawn In Spite of the News
Before I can get to our statistics — so many
stricken, so many dead — I’m summoned
by the bird raising a ruckus outside, crows
and jays in festive outrage, trill, chirrr, and aria
from the little brown birds, the mournful
dove, the querulous towhee, rusty starlings
in their see-saw mutter, and a woodpecker
flicker hammering the gutter staccato.
On the porch, I’m assaulted by the merciless
scent of trees opening their million flowers,
as I inhale the deep elixir of hazel, hawthorn,
maple, and oh those shameless cherry trees.
And just when I’ve almost recovered
my serious moment, I gasp, helpless to see
the full queen moon sidling down
through a haze of blossoms.
- Kim Stafford
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Ralph Anderson, having retired from a career with the Forest Service and as a consulting Wildlife Biologist, continues to offer his perspectives, insights and perusal of the current flow of science discoveries and its implications here in our monthly Tracks newsletter as well as more frequent postings on the 
