Owl Down

Gold cherry

By bhi

Thu, 21 Oct 2021
  • 1757 reads
12 comments
 

Our usual route past the Howard:

We’re stopped; the shuttered cottages,

Spun into the stringed morning mist,

Their derelict light, a dark star,

 Swept howling, breaking at the fence.

 

A tawny owl, still graceful, lies there dead,

Rounded wings spread as if in flight,

In its eyes captured the surprise

Of that instant when Death came to claim,

And the sky not deep enough for escape.

 

I stand entangled in the moment -

A crow, silent, rides the wind above,

A line of ants steps out from the grass,

The Earth’s imperceptible turn

Continues to strengthen the day’s light –

Wondering who else will mourn this passing?

The dogs, sombre, pull me away.

Certificate 12
Poem
On the Theme of IS

Comments

Submitted by onemorething on

Some very beautiful lines in this, and great imagery. I love the sad contemplation of it too. (Tawny owl typo)

 

Submitted by bhi on

Thank you OMT. 

typo corrected.

 

Submitted by onemorething on

Wonderful imagery, the grief for an owl - this is our Pick of the Day. Do share on social media. (Bhi, I hope the illustration is ok - it's from here: https://tinyurl.com/c3kjfwj2

 

Submitted by bhi on

OMT, the body of this owl was lying on the grass verge for nearly a week, and I noted, during my morning walks with the dogs,  its slow disintegration, and there was an overwhelming sadness at the loss of a life and the beauty and grace of that life, which now, though wings outspread, could no longer take to the sky. 

Thank you so much for the cherries. 

 

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

Love this, particularly the short, reportage-like lines - they add to the sombre quality of it, and the sadness - well deserved golden cherries

 

Submitted by bhi on

Thanks Insert. I am at that age where brevity is needed! And the cherries? well they were the cherries on a moment captured.

 

Submitted by marandina on

What a sad poem but wrapped around the relentless efficiency and beauty of nature. Congrats on the POTD, bhi. Paul :)

 

Submitted by bhi on

Paul, thanks for the comments. It is a sad poem, and the more so that we let these moments just drift past without a second thought, and I wanted to provide this moment, which had affected me - and the dogs - with a reflective monument.

Thanks again.

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

"And the sky not deep enough for escape.

 

I stand entangled in the moment -"

Every time I read this, I am struck by the power of these lines.

 

 

Submitted by bhi on

Di, thanks for reading and commenting. 

For the past 2 weeks I have passed this particular spot with the dogs, and the people and motorists passing must have thought I had lost my marbles as I stood there with head bowed!

Bhi

 

 

Submitted by celticman on

beautiful little birds brought by the cat, still irk, but retain their majesty. 

 

Submitted by bhi on

Very much still in possession of their majesty, C. Thanks for reading.