Courage by Leslie Bustard

“…courage can overcome despair.”
—Charlotte Brontë

Early morning drizzle, hard and gray . . .

A potted primrose on my windowsill is yellow and
bright, a promise of spring days ahead.

Outside, a mourning dove sighs.
A patch of snowdrops, green and white,
clump together, trying to keep warm.

Chattering birds flit from tree to fence to grass.
Their heads bob up and down,
poking around for food.

A red cardinal appears, and
a sweet sense of courage rises in my throat.