Their grey skirts
and tuxedos
offer a perfect
camouflage against
winter’s grey.

Their single
adornment,
garnet jewels
to veil each face.

When they plunge
seamlessly head down,
their elegant necks
tuck into the fish
of the Rio Grande.

When they emerge,
the droplets clustered
on their beaks shine
like cut glass,
or cultivated pearls.