Beauty on a Dungheap

By Rhiannonw

Wed, 15 Aug 2012
  • 3337 reads
14 comments
 

Bobbing flight,
dips out of sight,
and up – ‘peep bo!’
then duck
below.

Perching on the pile of muck,
wagging tail
perfect stance
to give a chance
for photo-shot.

Each time we pass, –
there’s one, no, two,
one day there’s four!
(Insects a-plenty here,
and in the murky puddles more.)

Not the smart Pied Wagtail
(common everywhere),
nor the Yellow Wagtail,
(very rare);
this Grey Wagtail
is the prettiest and best:
soft bright yellow chest,
sleek grey back:
among the dung,
spotless, clean:

incongruous concurrence
in a wayside scene.

Certificate U
Poem
Nature
Nature

Comments

Submitted by Jessiibear on
So beautiful. I love how it flows. Really enjoyed this, keep at it.

Jess

Submitted by Rhiannonw on
Thank you for telling me that you enjoyed it, – so glad. it was such an incident to remember! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by TVR on
Hi again, Rhiannon. I have to admit that I was taken in by your clever title. I’m a sucker for the beauty and the beast slant. I love the way you conveyed the contrast of the beautiful bird and the dung-heap here. I guess it’s that that made it stand out for you too. Much enjoyed. Trev

TVR

Submitted by Rhiannonw on
thanks again for telling me. Yes, it was a special experience, enjoyed and asking to be written about! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by jeand on

Hi Rhiannon

You show your bird knowledge and interest in this one, and teach those of us who only look at "birds" to look more carefully in the future and take in what we are seeing. Nicely done.

Jean

Jean Day

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

I'm certainly  no expert, Jean, but this is one bird I do recognise and love if I do see it, and it doesn't rush off as just a brown silhouette so it's possible usually to see what it is! And this incident was very special. Thanks for looking at this and commenting. Rhiannon
 

 

Submitted by Parson Thru on

Lovely, Rhiannon. Easily as worth reading as any English Romantic. I loved the variety of bird life in the south West. Wales is probably the same.

Parson Thru

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Lovely comment/compliment, thanks PT. Glad you enjoyed. The blackbirds are well worth watching though, too! Those grey wagtails are rare enough for us to be excited when we do see them, and they are very beautiful, gentle colours. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Tom Brown on

Excellent Rhiannon! Quoting William Blake, "To see a world in a grain of sand .. . .."

My favourite bird is the garden sparrow, you can't get anything more common than that. Nor handsome and dignified.

Tom Brown

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thank you, Tom. Like PT watching the blackbirds, there is so much to capture interest and sense of beauty when watching the 'plainest' of birds! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Hi Rhiannon, I thought I delve back into your past poems, so glad I did when I came across this one. Isn't it a pleasure to watch the birds? Each one in its habitat. You certainly captured the scene of the Grey Wagtail and gave me a smile. smiley Thank you for that.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thank you, Jenny. You set me wondering if I did take a photo. I think at that time we couldn't upload photos. I did find I had, and just put a clip of it on here. I doesn't do justice to the bird - better photos online, but it does bring back the occasion! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

The photo was a delight to see and sets the poem off perfectly.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thank you! Rh