Watch your back!

By Rhiannonw

Mon, 18 Sep 2017
  • 2821 reads
8 comments
 

 (owlish metaphor)

“Tu -whit, tu-woo”
“I keep a good view,
and you, you too
what will you do?

“To look back behind me my feet needn’t turn,
I soundlessly swivel my head to discern
what is to the rear, rebound in an instant,
with roundabout vigilance discrete and persistent,
observing the areas of danger with care,
perceiving the predators of which to beware.

“Your neck won’t bend,
so you need a friend –
use two pairs of eyes
to know and be wise:

“Who, who will do
this task for you?
interposing, protecting,
your blunders detecting,
note those you’ve annoyed –
now lost in the void
of your ‘visional gaps’,
those ‘blind spots’ unnoticed
(they may set you traps
if offended) –
so who will keep watch,
inform you of problems to catch,
appease and apologise,
before unexpected attack?:

“Tu-whit, tu-woo, you too, you too
watch out behind your back!”

[Poetry Monthly: Back]

Certificate U
Poetry Monthly
Miscellaneous
Philosophy

Comments

Submitted by celticman on

I think we've all got blind spots, owl or not. 

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

That is my point, Celt. We have blind spots, and need help to see them, or the things we don't notice about how we irritate others etc.

Owls can turn their heads far round, and so don't seem to have blind spots.

Rhiannon

 

Submitted by hedgehog1 on

A difficult one to get my mind around this poem Rhiannon. "Vision gaps" and "Blind spots" seem to say that we all have faults, which I agree with, but, we don't always realise that we have them.

Edward 

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thanks, Edward, I think maybe it isn't clear, and I may be able to work on it.

Yes, my idea was that we all have faults and mistakes we don't 'see', and a friend may see them, and so help us to put things right, so that problems don't come of it.

The metaphor of the owl was that they can see all around themselves, and wouldn't have 'blind spots' in real life vision. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by airyfairy on

Really liked this, Rhiannon.  The rhyming works really well, and parts of it reminded me of riddle poems, which fits in with the idea of the wise owl.  It's a wonderful idea, that we could have a wise and perceptive companion who could keep an eye on our blind spots.  Really enjoyed reading this.

And that's a magnificent picture!

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thank you, Airyfairy. Glad the idea is coming over (especially now I've explained a bit more!), though I probably should think more about it, but it's got to the stage I would need to think long before any sculpting, or re-attacking!

The picture is from when I took a friend recently to the Owls and rare breeds centre quite near here at Kington. The variety of owls is quite breathtaking. Beautirul creation. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

How lucky owls are with their ability to see all around. I like your take on the Poetry monthly idea.

Nice one Rhiannon.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thanks, Jenny. Been a bit of a complicated idea to work on. It came into my mind from my visit to the Owl and Rare Breed Centre as mentioned above. Rhiannon