Dad would pick up “Birds of North America”...

American Goldfinch, spinus tristis, male in fall, 
non-breeding plumage on sunflower.

Dad would pick up “Birds of North America” 

mid-meal to identify the Rufus Sided Towhee 

and Varied Thrush that visited our trees. 

I later saw my grandma Helen's copy of that book,

binding cracked and pages starting to come loose, 

and I saved my allowance to buy my own edition.

We kept binoculars on the piano by the table,

and Dad pointed out how illustrators 

painted field marks more vividly than they appear in life.