poem | wordsfromanneli

February 18, 2026
by wordsfromanneli 1 Comment

Please watch this clip and see the ways,

I work so hard to try,

To feed myself in hungry days,

To make sure I don’t die.

The maple bark was way too clean,

It came apart with ease,

But nought was there for me to glean,

No breakfast bite to please.

I flitted to a nearby fir,

You see the different bark,

Its bumpy, roughness won’t deter,

My beak will find the mark.

Oh dear! I must take much more care,

To eat bugs ere they fly,

Right in my armpit, he did dare

To bite me. “Now you’ll die!”

Elusive little bug, you are,

But mind my bendy neck,

I’ll find you, and you won’t get far,

I’ll eat you with one peck.

February 15, 2026
by wordsfromanneli 31 Comments

My eagle eye inspects the sky

To ferret out the chill,

And now I’m left to wonder why

The snow came down at will.

I know it’s colder in the heights,

And all the air was wet,

So pondering that, I knew by rights,

That snow was what we’d get.

I’ve fluffed my feathers up a tad

To keep the warmth inside,

I’ll check the depth of snow we’ve had,

And take a chilly glide.

I hope you’re hibernating, all

You creatures of the hills,

You must have known this snow could fall,

It’s testing all our wills.

But worry not, the rain will pour,

And wash the ice away,

Then soothing days will evermore,

Bring sunshine every day.

February 10, 2026
by wordsfromanneli 34 Comments

Ski hill lit up in a magical spell,

Dreamy night setting that suits skiers well,

Silence is broken so gently and slow

By boards that grip sideways and crunch on the snow.

Icy cold particles stinging the cheek,

As windburn sets in, it is not for the meek,

Face feeling fresher against the wind’s bite,

Small price to pay to descend in the night.

Carving a path through the crisp mountain trail,

Chilling and thrilling, a joy without fail,

Swooping and sweeping around in the glow,

Joyfully living and breathing in snow.

That was then. This is now.

Cool breeze arrives on the ski hill next morn,

Rounding out edges to make them look worn,

Moisture seeps into each cranny and nook,

Skiers raise eyebrows with questioning look.

Where are the lights and the softly lit snow?

Who let this fog in, and why won’t it go?

Damp and encroaching, the low cloud just sits,

Making me thankful I’m wearing my mitts.

One thing is good about groping through mist,

Stunts can be tried that I just can’t resist,

No one can watch me or see as I fall

Ass over tea kettle once and for all.

Oops! Should have specified this poem as rated “R.”

(Sigh!) But “Bum over tea kettle” just doesn’t do it.

It would be too much like hearing a macho man say “whoops-a-daisy.”

February 8, 2026
by wordsfromanneli 46 Comments

Now and Then

Against all odds, the cluster of daffodils that pops up near the fir trees every year, has decided to make a dash for the light of day.

For each of the flowers, the bigger photo is now, and the smaller photos at the side are what they will look like later this spring.

It’s our job to welcome spring,

We’re the first to do our thing,

What a let down it would be,

If there were no daffs to see.

Irises popping up.

Iris and her girlie gaggle,

Push the dirt, don’t want to straggle,

Iris girls put on a show,

Can-can dancers in a row.

Oriental poppies beginning to grow already.

Oriental poppy leaves

Grow in spurts, the ground upheaves,

Happy that they’re fenced right in

See the misery of their kin.

Below are the not-so-lucky ones.

Poppy Sisters, maimed we see,

Just outside the fence so free,

Bunnies come along at night,

Eat them up, bite after bite.

February 6, 2026
by wordsfromanneli 38 Comments

Harry and Harriet are hairy woodpeckers who live in the trees near our house. Sometimes they come closer for a visit to check out the bird feeders, but what they really like to eat is anything that is small and moves, usually under the bark of trees, rotten or otherwise.

They’re not that fussy. Fruit, berries, and nuts make them happy too. They’re generally not seedeaters, but I was wondering if Harry was interested in that sunflower seed he has wedged in between the boards just by his right foot.

Harriet has one by her foot too, but it’s hard to say if she put the seed there or if a nuthatch was working on it and Harriet came over to check it out.

I sang a song for Harriet,

I like to call by trilling,

So far, she hasn’t noticed yet,

I’d hoped she’d find it thrilling.

I said, “Let’s check the feeders out,

We might just find a morsel.”

She gave me an indignant shout,

“I have to watch my torso.”

February 4, 2026
by wordsfromanneli 30 Comments

Leaving the Hills

Hi! I’m Robbie Robin. I want to explain why I’m down here at the lower elevations.

It got darn cold up in the hills where we’ve been hanging out for several weeks. When a dusting of snow covered the ground and froze, it was harder to get the bugs and worms out of the ground. Most of the berries were already long gone.

So we decided to come down closer to sea level and check out the gardens and people’s back yards.

Did you count us? It’s a bit blurry but see how many of my friends you can find.

I’ve been here before so I got right down to it. I know the worms hide under the leaves that mulch the garden. Check it out and you’ll see how I find them.

Flicking dead leaves all around,

Until yummy bugs are found,

Eat them quick before they stray,

As they rush to get away.

January 30, 2026
by wordsfromanneli 38 Comments

You Quack Me Up

Is love all it’s quacked up to be? You betcha.

Back off, boys!

I’m a har-har-harlequin,

Funny little duck,

If you’re look-look-looking for

A girl you’re out of luck.

She’s a sweet-sweet lady duck,

And she is all my own,

Best little sweetheart

I have ever known.

No one comes between us,

She’s mine, mine, mine,

To woo, woo, woo her,

You’d better get in line.

January 28, 2026
by wordsfromanneli 21 Comments

Australian Wood Duck

Another photo from my friends’ holiday in Australia.

Is it a duck or a goose? It seems to have features of both and its Latin name has been adjusted somewhat (from chen to anser?) to cover both features. Not sure about the Latin names, but there is definitely something goosey about this wood “duck.”