Birds at Bayside
How perfect the balance of
countercurrent
heat exchanger in winter’s gull
as it keeps her feet from cooling
to a frostbite. Intertwining
arteries and veins regulate
temperature to where bird’s feet
stay cool yet warm enough,
her legs working around the clock
to keep her life from harm.
Poem by Lynne Goldsmith
Lynne’s poetry has been published in All-Creatures.org, Interalia Magazine, Journal for Critical Animal Studies, Not Very Quiet, Plants & Poetry Journal, Red Planet Magazine, Spillway, The Environmental Magazine, Thimble Literary Magazine, and elsewhere. Her first book, Secondary Cicatrices, won the 2018 Halcyon Poetry Prize and was a 2019 Finalist in the American Book Fest Awards, a 2020 Human Relations Indie Book Award Gold Winner, a 2020 International Book Award Finalist, and a 2021 Book Excellence Award Finalist.