The Departure of Nightjars

Gold cherry
Poem of the week

By onemorething

Fri, 14 Aug 2020
  • 3260 reads
18 comments
 

Time plagues us all;

the finity of hours once counted out

in lots - impatient, nightjars quit the earth

to greet the toil of dusk

in churr vibrations of twilight alarms,

sing tuneless songs to old bones.

We work and sleep and remember,

we regret: these are the actions of time,

as unsubtle as a nightjar, but

they are milking moonshine 

while it lasts, brightened eyes

chasing littler wings, chasing light.

They are breaking up the stones 

of each day passed, unforgotten,

where yet another day is always breaking

endlessly against the manufacturing of dreams.

Only dawn can hasten

the departure of a nightjar from the dark, and 

having been dispelled, moth-bloated,

they are recalled by trees

to become secrets again of their bark,

to rest, to reimagine, to stop the clock.

 

Image is from wikimedia commons: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bird_illustration_from_Svenska_Fåglar_(Swedish_Birds)_by_the_von_Wright_brothers_from_rawpixel%27s_original_edition_of_the_publication_00020.jpg

Nightjar song: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UOAGUfBFcvM

Also this image on Twitter of them in flight at night: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:European_Nightjar_from_the_Crossley_ID_Guide_Britain_and_Ireland.jpg

Certificate U
Poem
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Comments

Submitted by Mark Burrow on

"Milking moonshine." Brilliant. Love the layers of language here, building a sense of mystery. 

 

Submitted by onemorething on

Thanks Mark. I had to include milking in here somewhere because they used to be called 'goatsuckers' due to the belief that they were drinking goats' milk and moons, milk, worked for me. Thanks for reading, glad you liked it. 

 

Submitted by Mark Burrow on

I'm glad you did. It creates such a strong image and mood. 

No worries about the cherry, 'twas a no brainer! 

 

Submitted by Philip Sidney on

Wonderful!

Submitted by onemorething on

Thank you! Happy you liked it.

 And thanks Mark, presumably, for the cherries. Forgot to say above. :)

 

Submitted by airyfairy on

Totally caught up in this, to the point where it was odd to look out of the window and see daylight!  I didn't know about the milking bit.  Also, some great links.  Thank you!  

Submitted by onemorething on

Oh well, I'm quite pleased about that, it was a brief interruption of darkness, let the light resume...although saying that, it is evening soon and the nightjars will be waking up. Thanks for reading it, am pleased you liked the links too. Rachel :)

 

Submitted by Philip Sidney on

This is our facebook and twitter pick of the day - do share it!

Submitted by Philip Sidney on

It's also our poem of the week - well done!

Submitted by onemorething on

Blimey! What a lovely surprise for my strange moth-eating birds poem. Am very grateful, thank you very much! :)

 

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

Another wonderful bird poem - and what a beautiful magical bird this one is. Congratulations one more - I hope you're feeling better?

 

Submitted by onemorething on

Thanks insert! They are funny looking things too, but I like their froggy feathery beaks and big eyes. And yes, much better thanks, over the worst of it now. I think the Magnum-a-day regime helped! x

 

Submitted by Ed Crane on

Your wonderful super-soft poem made me want to know more about these mysterious birds, so I did a little research. I had it in my head they were endangered, but thankfully it seems they are quite populous in the north. I'm much relieved about that. 

I didn't realise there were so many species of this family of birds or that the European ones migrate to Africa for the winter.

Thanks Rachel

 

 

Submitted by onemorething on

Thanks Ed, I like the idea of super-softness. Yes, they are visitors as opposed to residents, quirky birds. Glad  it sparked your interest. Thanks for reading it. Rachel :)

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Hi Rachel,

I've never heard of a nightjar, so was unfamilar with your poem. You've taught me something new.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by onemorething on

Oh well, I'm glad then Jenny, always good to discover another bird. Thanks for reading it. Rachel :)

 

Submitted by Yutka on

Absolutrly loved your poem, intriguing powerful language, that leads to many layers of a mysterious night hunter

 

Submitted by onemorething on

Thank you Yutka, am so glad you liked it. Thanks for reading it. Rachel :)