A Winter Scene Poem by Ruta Mohapatra

Afternoon: cold winds and warm sun
A pair squirrels on the neighbors' roof
A leafy tree for a ladder and home
Leaning on one wall, branches wide
Thick and green, waving in the wind

Water leaks from a water tank
A poodle on the roof
A flock of pigeons with fluttering wings
A pair of doves sparkling white
Bathing and drinking to heart's content

Playfully going here and there
Careful of the pigeons there
The bushy tails going up and down
Riding up a wall then sliding down
Nosing around the flower pots

Yellow and orange marigolds
Looking up at the yellow sky
The wind bears their mellow scent
Across to where I sit
Under the warm golden sun