Sassy Bird
(Thryothorus ludovicianus, Carolina wren)

The sole song of winter, bursting forth from nearby branch, followed all too often by a trill that is fearsome in its alien, raptorine suddenness. That both come from such a tiny ball, a needle-beaked walnut of curious energy, is remarkable. Tail cocked at a jaunty angle, investigating impractical pockets with nesting dreams. Coat pockets, drain pipes, winter-cooled grills, they all sing secret songs of safety that only winter trillers can hear. Personality and impracticality all in one, a tiny mirror of ourselves.

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