Staying

So there’s a cardinal flaming above the silhouetted palm trees
on a high wire who never left to go home.
He’s calling anyone who can hear
Only to be answered by a demanding peacock while
 a stark white cat races through predawn sidewalks.
His kind no longer nests in these parts.
He points his beak up
Searching the sky
For some other rebellious squatter
But love is not found in the spring fever of sugar canes.