Watching a female cardinal at my feeder, admiring her big, seed-chomping, bright orange bill and how it contrasts so prettily against her black face. So near, I notice details I never picked up on before. For example, her crest is tipped in red, as if rouged with lipstick. It almost glows against her smooth brown nape. Each time she dips her head for another seed, that red crest flickers like a little flame.

Familiar detail
of a loved one's face
rediscovered.