I wrote my poem after taking a photograph. I started photographing wildlife. I need to exercise because of stage-two diabetes. I wanted to get out more, only instead of just walking, I prefer there should be a point to walking. I like to take pictures, so why not—as the perfect thing to do—take pictures of wildlife?

It was the first year I was doing this, and I was happy to find a blue jay. A very rare thing indeed. And I had an impossibly good shot, because it was sitting on the very top of the tree. Right at the tippy top. It looked so nice and heroic, standing there. It was cold, and the wind was singing, and I knew that he was out there scavenging. I admired that this guy was still out there, that he stuck it out.