cardinal cooper rasha Johnny? Oh, no. My old-man retirement name can’t be Johnny. I dated a Johnny once and had to break up with him because he had leopard-print boxers. It was a nightmare.” I hang the picture on the living room wall and we stay up all night, watching a light snow coat the ground, laughing until our stomachs are sick, and scooping up melted ice cream cake with our fingers. We fall asleep on the floor around 4 AM, and I wake an hour later when I hear my father’s key in the front door. “Hey, Bug,” he whispers when I wave to him. Marisol is dreaming, her leg kicking sporadically, her mouth moving without making any sounds. “The storm was kind of a bust, eh? Moved out to sea, I guess.” “Why’d you stay so long?” I ask. “I promised I would,” he says. He notices the cardinal on the wall and stares at it for a minute. “Where’d that come from?” “Marisol took it. It’s my other birthday present.” “I’ve always liked cardinals,” he says quietly. “I hear they’re good luck,” I say. The snowflakes continue to fall outside and my father continues staring at the bird in the frame. “Those wings,” he says. “It’s almost like he’s saying hello.” “Or goodbye.” “Or,” my father says, pulling off his wet gloves and letting his hands get warm, “maybe both.” 130107 ... styxx oh, bird...you are dingy and grey, marking you as female, i suppose. you have been tap, tap, tapping my bathroom window on every sunny day for a year now. so what? what is it? do you see yourself in the reflection and mistakenly think its a friendly face? or are you trying to tell me something? 130118 ... gabbie seriously sister, go find your friend 130313 ... epitome of incomprehensibility Rejoice, songbird girls, no income inequality of colours. Golden backs, golden chests. Ruffle. A scarlet beak pecking at seeds. Red feathers, you take the other seat. Cardinal directions, one on each side of the feeder. As if to say, haughty: let's sort things out like the brilliant bright things we are, rather than squabbling like sparrows. Though the summer sparrows are fun to watch too, their beauty and grace underrated. 250214 ... raze seeing the cardinal_couple perched together on my fence never fails to fill my heart. they've visited almost every day for two and a half years now. once there was a fledgling with them, but only just that one time. he must not have made it. it's always been these two, singing what they have to say. 250214 what's it to you? who go blather from