At the ferry berth
A chain link fence
Separated me
Separated me
From the rocks
And a heron
Painted, like the waves and clouds,
Shades of October grey.
Shades of October grey.
A sunlit patch
On the North Shore hills:
The British Properties.
Hundreds of homes
Stacked up the slope,
Striving to be the most aloof
And those inside,
Striving for the good life.
And those inside,
Striving for the good life.
The heron stretched its neck to preen
And my heart went out to it,
Photo from Wikimedia Commons
And my heart went out to it,
Then carried on to the hills,
To their dwellers.
May they succeed.
May they succeed.
Photo from Wikimedia Commons
Beautiful David! Here in Florida I'm surrounded with 554 lakes... Many are mud puddles - But still we get the chance to observe a variety of gorgeous water birds. The Great Blue Heron is the most magnificent by far!
ReplyDeleteThey don't always have an easy time staying out of mans way though... They're so large they need lots of room for take-off on land. Once my husband and I found one injured on the highway... His leg was busted pretty badly but we took him to the nearest vet anyway.
As I held him in my lap during the drive there I was awed by his size and the weight and warmth of his body... I couldn't help but associate him with what I knew of turkeys. Large - But with the softest feathers --- And no matter where or how I held him I could feel his rapid heartbeat...
It didn't turn out well for him. Within minutes the vet recommended we let him fly away out of earthly bounds...
Among the British properties and Florida roads - It's sad that our "progress" often compromises the very survival of such majestic creatures. For this poor guy all it took was one darn car. I hope your fellow avoids all of our dangerous trappings. Stay safe beautiful heron.
Thanks Bea! What a tender tale about the injured heron. I'm sure your kindness wasn't wasted. Herons and turkeys alike - may they all one day be safe.
DeleteSuch beautiful birds... I used to see them when out walking along protected habitats, although not with chain link fences. They are so beautiful in flight as well. An interesting contrast that you present in your poem, between the simple beauty of the grey Heron and the sheen of the elite on the hill. I had no idea what the "British Properties" were so I googled it. One ad said: "Expansive view properties to build your legacy residence." I'll fly with the Heron :) The view is probably better...
ReplyDeleteThey are beautiful aren't they? I suspect building legacy residences can be a little distracting and might cause one to miss some of the heron moments. That line from the Bible comes to mind: "...even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these."
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