Faithful Cardinal

As if it leads you home,

the cardinal comes at six

It lights upon the patio tree

and faithfully predicts

your coming home to me

Many days the punctual bird

announced you in this way

Neither it, and never you,

were ever to delay.

Until that fateful afternoon;

the crack of a gun was heard

Your gallant soul rose upward;

softly, quickly ... as a bird

The cardinal came

a few more times

until away it flew.

You never were to come again;

somehow the cardinal knew

With time, I turned away;

the cardinal had moved on

At last I had to realize

my life with you was gone