Mother Duck and the Wandering duckling

By Rhiannonw

Sat, 03 Sep 2016
  • 1261 reads
4 comments
 

Across the water weaving,
the still lake’s surface cleaving,
a sharp V-wake behind her leaving,
her wandering offspring reaching,
teaching:

‘Don’t try to leave
again, deceive
but closely cleave
to me awhile –
you must believe
you are not ready
for independent living –
you won’t survive
as yet, alone,
stay long alive
– and I don’t want to grieve
that you are prematurely gone!’

[IP: use ‘cleave’ in the two opposite senses’]

 

Certificate U
Poem
Families
Inspiration Point (work that responds to our weekly writing cue)

Comments

Submitted by jeand on

Hi Rhiannon

Very clever this, and fun to read.

Jean

Jean Day

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thanks, Jean. I guess you would realise how difficult it actually is to use two 'exactly the same' words fairly closely without grating on the ear poetically! A bit of a mental exercise, this one, and keep a little fun story. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

I agree with what you say Rhiannon, a fun piece of writing and just love the story behind it. Those baby ducklings are so cute.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thanks, Jenny. It was fun to try to get written, to use the two meanings of 'cleave', but bury them reasonably unobtrusively in the story. Yes, we all like the fluffy ducklings surrounding the ducks in the spring! Rhiannon