Magpies

Gold cherry
Poem of the week
Pick of the Month

By Jane Hyphen

Tue, 27 Nov 2018
  • 7499 reads
19 comments
 

 

Walking in the dead grey

November days, just slits

Open wide enough to see

Magpies gather in a tree

‘You’re alive,’ they rasp

I check myself; a beating heart

The vapour of my breath

They’re right!

What a task it is to be alive

When you’re alone and you can’t fly

 

The stewed curse of being human

Is overcooked in winter

We fall apart so tender

Beat ourselves until we know

For sure we’re not enough

And to fill the gaps

We gather shiny objects

And think in black and white

Garner endless conflict

Squabble for the highest nest

Yet still we think it’s us

At the top of the world

 

 

Certificate U
Poem

Comments

Submitted by hilary west on

Hi Jane,

There's undoubted wisdom in this, especially at the end. Too many of us think in black and white also as you say !

Hilary     cool

 

Submitted by Jane Hyphen on

Thanks Hilary, yes we do, often to prove our point, sometimes to ourselves..

 

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

Wise words. I love the second half of this - what a perfect comparison!

 

Submitted by Jane Hyphen on

Hi Insert, thanks for your comment and the cherries. The magpies were real, there were eighteen of them in a group of trees, calling out their message. 

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

A thoughtful poem Jane.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by Jane Hyphen on

Thank you Jenny.

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

It's taken me a while to get my thoughts around all of this, Jane. You seem to be highlighting the looking for bright material, flimsy things (like magpies do? and jackdaws?) to 'comfort' frustrations and 'empty holes', and quarrel and try to convince ourselves we're coping better than we are and are master of our destinies (and everyone else's). I wasn't sure about thinking in black and white, maybe missing the colour in life, or like thinking two-dimensionally, narrow 'tunnel-vision' thinking? Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Jane Hyphen on

Hi Rhiannon, thanks for your comment. I suppose it's a mixture of most of those things. I think we do like to see things in black and white, two dimensionally sometimes and you're right about filling holes with just stuff.

 

Submitted by celticman on

yeh, life is full of feathers. 

 

Submitted by Jane Hyphen on

Watch out for the hidden razorblades celticman.

 

Submitted by airyfairy on

Observation, acute questions and humanity in this wonderful poem.  It's our Facebook and Twitter Pick of the Day!  Please do share/retweet if you enjoy it too.  

Picture:  Pixabay Creative Commons

Submitted by Jane Hyphen on

Thanks for this. I love the photo, beautiful birds magpies.smiley

 

Submitted by hudsonmoon on

I been the best and worst at everything my whole like, Jane. But I'm glad I caught you on one of your best.

Rich x

 

Submitted by Jane Hyphen on

Thanks Rich. More interesting to be best and worst than hover in that invisible band in the middle x

 

Submitted by fatboy74 on

Wise words and a lovely poem for pick of the day.

 

 

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

This is our Poem of the Week - Congratulations!

 

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

This is our Poem of the Month - Congratulations!

 

Submitted by Jane Hyphen on

Wow, thanks guys xx

 

Submitted by sylviec on

wonderful lines, so evocative and delightful thank you xxx

sylviec