There In The Gray Of The Morning

There in the gray of the morning in the faint winter
sunlight
I saw a bird once familiar once to me a common sight
Greenfinch brought here by the white man and introduced in this Country
In his drab green cloak of winter chirped on the mirror bush tree.

Seeing and hearing the green bird stirred memories of far-away
Of the green hedgerows of Ireland in their bright blossoms of May
Over the trees of the headland in butterfly like courtship display
Male in his bright green breeding plumage performed in the sunlight of day.

Performing for his female admirer the would be mother to be
She would make him a proud father give to him a family
His genes to live on forever his descendants chirp and sing
In the green groves of Duhallow in the warm days of the Spring.

Above the trees of the headland flitting like a butterfly
I could only gaze in wonder with the wonderment of a boy
At such a thing of great beauty such beauty never will die
Flying and chirping and singing and dancing in the sunlit sky.

I found the nest of the female when i climbed a cypress tree
A cup shaped nest of hair, twigs and lichen wedged in a fork i did see
And beautifully lined with grasses such a discovery is rare
A work of natural beauty and built with much painstaking care.

Her five tiny eggs fragile looking lightly streaked and bluish green
Such a thing of natural beauty that only in Nature is seen
Something to always remember of such beauty good memories are made
I still have the mental picture and time has not caused it to fade.

There in the gray of the morning bird now i often don't see
Greenfinch is chirping and singing high on the mirror bush tree
Above the trees of the headland years ago and far away
One of his kind i saw flitting in butterfly like courtship display.