A
bright red cardinal, perched upon a tree
For winter bare, contrasts legustrum, green
As holly for a background, standing out
Like heedless soldiers in the line of fire
Against canary sun and blue jay sky
The perfect target for assassins nigh.
There is no call for this. Darwin can brood
Until he gets into a Bible mood;
The Beagle can beyond Galapagos
A Flying Dutchmen sail until the sea
Gives up her dead, to find the reason why:
That red is pretty; good in Jesus’ eye.
The scarlet holly-berry’s so designed
Not just to help the hungry cardinals find
The glossy fruit, as botanists assume,
And spread the seed as they the fruits consume,
But green and red, as anyone could know
(See Romans 1) makes a revealing show.
Intelligent Design? It’s not just that.
A tin can is intelligent design;
So is a Roman cardinal’s shovel hat.
But perching Cardinal is a living sign
That God is not some sheer Intelligence
But made this all with Love and Elegance.