Gooseberries

 

As the angle of light lowers,

I'm walking through brittle sage

outside this renowned mountain town.

Gooseberry bushes grow thick

along an old stretch

of rusting barbed-wire fence.

Planted unknowingly by birds;

the same species of bird

now eating their orange-red berries.

Their orange-red heads

with a bright yellow collar

tucked into black shoulders;

Western Tanagers share

the bounty of Gooseberries

with their newly-fledged young,

as the thick, orange-red light of evening

warms their striking colors,

and the foothills around Estes Park.

© 2022 Richard Havenga

Photo Locations:

1. 2. & 3. Estes Park, Colorado