Wildlife flirts
blossoms sing
air vibrates
sun and rain
Birds and bees
buzz in harmony
but a single note
thrills my senses
Canada Geese
squabble and waddle
while Mallard Mom
herds young into reeds
A splash signals
presence of beaver,
but my ear is fixated
eyes scanning green
For a glimpse
of brilliant orange
capped with black –
Baltimore Oriole
(Image my own)
How am I to work today
as a black squirrel navigates
precarious saplings
with death-defying sure-footedness?
And the Red-bellied woodpecker
thrums outside my window,
having mistaken brick for walnut bark
his bright red cap catching my breath
And how can I ever hope to focus
when a flit of yellow coming to rest
at our array of feeders, indicates
that the Goldfinch is declaring Spring?
The Chickadees are calling “you-who”
and the Blue Jay dares to ask
“Where are the peanuts?”
and I am feeling a tug of guilt
Even a starling,
perching on the windowsill
peers inside and ponders
what attraction keeps me glued
I’ve papers to write, blogs to read
and, well, a need to fulfill expectations
but how am I to concentrate
when Nature is so full of promise?
(Sketch my own)
It’s a bird’s perspective I envy –
the ability to perch up high,
balanced no matter the weather,
unaffected by the drama below –
I shall never know such calm,
being afraid of heights.
(Previously published 08/19. Image my own)
Cardinal cares not
for human noise, her sweet song
a sprightly muse
even the meanest of hearts
turn skyward at her bidding.
(A tanka for Thursday. Image my own.)
A band of blue jays
gather around, debase
serenity of this garden
party: chickadees and cardinals
scatter, sense danger
in raucous intrusion –
Bemused, I watch, marvel
birds parodying humans.
(Tuesdays, I borrow from Twitter @Vjknutson. Image my own.)
Mercy bore wings
graced my doorstep
her cheery song nectar
for a weary heart –
initiative all hers.
(Image mine)
A grackle shimmers
sun highlighting blue – my mood
queer melancholy –
absent knocks, talks, minutiae
remains discomforting din.
(Photo mine)
Celebrity bores
I crave sapid exchange – bird
song, sweet and tender
I am past prime – gigs dried up
but nature provides plenty.
(Image mine)
Blackbirds utter gloom
speak in murmurations
grey blots out sunlight
blurs definition – pencil
contemplates early nightfall.
(Tanka and sketch by yours truly)
Craving compassion
I seek the wisdom
of the river –
Her glimmering waters
reflect sun’s warmth
I am at once calmed
and uplifted –
seagull raises his wings
emits an ungodly chuckle.
(Image, my own, is not actually a Laughing Gull, but the title fits.)
One Woman's Quest 