In February By The Mountains

The dark brown water bird known as dipper of breast white as snow

That sings on the bank near where the rapids flow

His shrill song in Spring is silent today

When the grass of the morning is silvery gray

From the overnight frost of wintery February

And on the tall branches of a bare elm tree

The hungry rooks are cawing not much food for them to be found

In the depths of the Winter on the frost bitten ground

The woods looking bare and bird song one does not hear

In February by the mountains a cold time of year

A weather temperature high for the day of a chilly five degrees

And a freshening cold wind is soughing  in the bare deciduous trees

The cattle in farmyard sheds bellowing for silage or hay

At least six weeks left for them of their indoor stay

Still every day is one day nearer to Spring

When the nest building birds again will whistle and sing

And the swallows home to breed will be flying above the old fields again

Looking quite resplendent in their flowers after rain

But in February by the mountains from here far away

No songbirds are singing on bare trees today.