When you're raised
With the smell of leather case
Snap of latch, and cold, hard metal
Of binoculars
Dog-eared bird books
As company in the back seat
Wonder surrounding all things avian
Is not questioned, it's like breathing
A reflex
To check a flash of feather
Pause and peer
Through light and leaves
Find that bird shape
Check markings and
Mentally file for
Later identification
Though
Most are known
Deposited during decades
Of watching parents point
And classify
Blue jay, Scrub jay, Stellar's jay
Mockingbird, Bushtit,
Yellow rumped warbler,
Tennessee warbler,
Red bellied woodpecker,
Downy Woodpecker,
Red tailed, Red shouldered,
Or Cooper's Hawks
My feet automatically stop
To watch any flock
Fly overhead
Shifting from shadow
To white or color
It's a love forever
Nested in my heart
This is written for the prompt at Poetic Bloomings poeticbloomings.com to write about a bird--With parents as birders, that is near impossible. They are all wonderful to me and every time I see one, it makes my heart lift. Also shared for OLN at dversepoets.com, I'm a bit early, but the early bird....:-)
With the smell of leather case
Snap of latch, and cold, hard metal
Of binoculars
Dog-eared bird books
As company in the back seat
Wonder surrounding all things avian
Is not questioned, it's like breathing
A reflex
To check a flash of feather
Pause and peer
Through light and leaves
Find that bird shape
Check markings and
Mentally file for
Later identification
Though
Most are known
Deposited during decades
Of watching parents point
And classify
Blue jay, Scrub jay, Stellar's jay
Mockingbird, Bushtit,
Yellow rumped warbler,
Tennessee warbler,
Red bellied woodpecker,
Downy Woodpecker,
Red tailed, Red shouldered,
Or Cooper's Hawks
My feet automatically stop
To watch any flock
Fly overhead
Shifting from shadow
To white or color
It's a love forever
Nested in my heart
This is written for the prompt at Poetic Bloomings poeticbloomings.com to write about a bird--With parents as birders, that is near impossible. They are all wonderful to me and every time I see one, it makes my heart lift. Also shared for OLN at dversepoets.com, I'm a bit early, but the early bird....:-)
it is really cool how some know their birds...i know a few by their song...the familiar ones by where i grew up...nested in your heart...nice play there too...smiles.
ReplyDeleteHi Brian! It is fun to know them-thought that everyone did until 8th grade when I pointed out a bird to a friend and they asked me how I knew that:-)
DeleteI love this poem on birds ... beautiful !!!
ReplyDeleteHi Speck! I loved your Hindi poem as well, lovely :-)
DeleteSara, you were so lucky to have parents who were birders and who imparted the love and knowledge to you! And I hope you pass it down as well...as this kind of passed down love of something I think is probably the most intense of all. A beautifully expressed poem.
ReplyDeleteHi Mary!! Thank you so much! Yes, it's passed down to my kids, again they kinda can't help learning it, when I'm automatically stopping and pointing the birds out to them:-)
DeleteIt's a love forever
ReplyDeleteNested in my heart....beautiful. I love this, Sara.
Hi Ayala!! Thank you so much, I really loved your love poem as well :-)
DeleteOh yes! Love this, Sara! And the last two lines:
ReplyDelete"It's a love forever
Nested in my heart"
Perfect! :-)
Hi Pam!! Thank you! I'm thinking you can relate since your poem was about a titmouse, not too many people know that bird:-)
Deleteso cool that your parents passed down the love of birds to you..i find them fascinating and i wish i knew more by name.. yeah i can imagine that this is a love, nested (love the word here..fits so perfectly) in your heart..
ReplyDeleteHi Claudia! It's enough to just love them :-) Thank you for the lovely compliment
DeleteLove your love of birds and the aspect of your parents passing this on. Recently set up a feeding station in our garden and amazed at the visitors but wish i had your knowledge of who the visitors are :-)
ReplyDeleteHi ND!! Really enjoying your poetry. My parents were teachers too, and so I can't help leaving this link for you to identify your birds
Deletehttp://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdidentifier/
Enjoy!!
Thanks for that link. Brilliant :-)
DeleteFascinating. I have never known birdwatchers, yet alone think of growing up with them. Thanx for the delightful snapshot.
ReplyDeleteHi Sabio!! What a wonderful comment, I've always wanted to be fascinating :-) Thank you so much for stopping by!
DeleteI would love to see these birds....but there's any where I am in the city ~
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this nature's delight ~
What a fun hobby and family memory-making time!
ReplyDeleteWhat a delightfully nostalgic poem!
ReplyDelete