Little Hearts
As the Earth warms, birds are flying North to nest.
In a cluster of islands, far from man, brown pelicans
find refuge in Chesapeake Bay’s Tangier Sound come spring.
They join oystercatchers and herons in still marshes
and waterways, where they wildly flap their necks
to stay cool and loudly dive for food.
White necked and blonde, chicks emerge
with fluffy fur that darkens when breeding.
And when the babes tuck back wings,
a perfect brown heart, a tattoo
from Mother Nature, is revealed.