Our Winter friends Please don’t forget them

We have the weather forecasts
I feel the birds must know
Must learn the signs
And hanker down
Before its starts to snow
Well I hope that is the case
Because I am sure you will agree
When its dark and frosty everywhere
That its not the place to be

The tits and little robins
who hide in bushes, they
even though their metabolism is high
I’m sad to say, I do feel for them
seriously,clad in their snowy cloak
Of bushes with that raging wind
It cannot be a joke

Those less than hardy specimens
Will have flown off, somewhere
warm
Their internal clocks
would have kicked in
For them they hate the storm
The frost that bitter coating
That Jack Frost leaves by night
and the wind that takes
the temperature and
puts it out of sight

The water in my water butt
and also in my pond is a block
of ice
which can’t be nice
their is no magic wand
for those out there perching on my hut
Tis true birds move a lot
But in the freezing cold of day
It feels better in one spot

Some old church eaves or an old tithe barn
and just stay put for a while
Out of the draught
Out of the wet
On an old leaf pile
I know some birds will
freeze to death
Poor little souls, I say
the death of those sweet innocents
who sing and warm our way

when their day brings
them suffering
and they ultimately pay
Its good to leave
some scraps about for them
along the way
For Winter must be very hard
For The birds on the canal
Who welcome this old bearded bard
looking down from the bridge
A pal

Drops some bread,some bits of fat
and hear them quack away
swimming in the icy water
Yes, even today
Unyet they seem contented
The coots as well appear
To get on with their daily life
Which happens to be here

Winter’s icy breath though
Must take its toll around
It freezes up the water
and hardens up the ground
The Squirrels and the Foxes
The Badgers and the Moles
Must really feel the icy blasts
For they are thoughtful souls

They don’t have supermarkets
They have to feed of course
And so they venture out into
Perhaps snow, and gale force
Winds, and use their senses
to find a meal or two
Spare a thought for the earthlings
and help them, please will you

Dress up warm my first class friends
Take a bag of food
Wander down to the old Canal
Visit the rapter brood
The outside people those earthlings
Who withstand the wintry bite
And a little bit of help from us
Will get them though the night.