Cardinals and Vultures

Spring has sprung Flowers bloom brightly, an array of colors Bees buzzing by Wind brushes against the trees Supporting dense canopies Dappled with shadows and sun Cardinals perched on limbs Summer comes and goes Fall is fleeting and fast Into winter, ice and snow Back to spring again Spring has sprung But no flowers to be seen No bees are buzzing The stage to a different scene Tread marks stretch onward Weaving between burning stumps And countless mounds of dirt Vultures perched on crosses The army has moved Smaller than before Men are trudging Up concrete, neverending stairs Armed with ties and smiles Briefcases and portfolios Aluminum and Steel Echoes of what was are all that is left Trees to homes Flowers to benches Bees to children Cardinals to Vultures