When The Cold Northern Winds Poem by Francis Duggan

When the cold northern winds through the bleak North-lands blow
And their home fields and woods are covered in late Autumn snow
The mottled brown redwing thrushes for to Winter fly south
Migration for them is part of what survival is about
They return again to mate and breed in their home places in Spring
To build their nests, raise their young and the males their territorial songs sing
Even in the cooler southern places they migrate to Winter can be wet and cold
And few redwing thrushes do live to grow old
Above the fields on many a November night
I used to hear them chirping when migrating in the moonlight
This is going back the years to many decades ago
To when i was younger before time became my foe
Though time has left me weary and looking gray
Good memories live on as the wise one does say.