Another really interesting Dverse poetry prompt I cannot ignore. It’s worth following the link to where Abhra tells us about a famous Bengali poet and quotes some beautiful lines about the kind of bird he might like to be reborn as.
These words came to me in the early hours as the birds began to sing. Although today I should be working outside in the sun and gathering wood I cannot resist having fun with this. It’s a tribute to all the birds with the hope that they may survive the cold, the long journeys, human interference, and be with us as truly wild ones.
If I was reborn I would like to be a bird in the Navasola valley. They seem quite happy here, with plenty of food to eat. But which one ?
To the Biodiversity of Birds
I would love to be
A bee eater, glorious gold blue green.
But maybe not with such decline
In numbers with a risky journey South
And far too few bees to eat.
I am not a risk taker.
Or could I be a darting swift
Flying fast round village spires
Screaming to the God inside.
I fear I cannot go so fast.
To go with the warblers and the swallows south
On African plains would be a dream.
Guided by the distant stars.
But migrant birds in current climes
Travel with joy but suffer loss.
I do not want so much grief.
An owl gliding through the night
Silent flight now that I’d like.
But I would miss the sun.
A stork is not I think the best
Bringing babes frogs to the high up nest.
I think from that I need a rest!
So perhaps a resident is what I should be
A Mrs brown blackbird, or robin dear.
With sludgey worms slugging down my throat.
Perhaps that’s not quite my cup of tea.
A tiny wren with cracking voice
Varied tits with varying tails.
Winter cold small body fails
I like a fire to keep me warm.
The goldfinch flies with such glitter
A song so pretty but here so often caught
Put in a cage , no place for wings to flutter.
I like to be free.
From gliding vultures high above
Eagles with their boots on, ravens, jays.
Living on corpses to the end of my days.
I cannot change my vegetarian ways.
The woodpecker too noisy with the wood
I prefer some silence and some song.
Ah, there’s a bird I surely could be
When it’s cold it goes by the sea
Hovering high notes sung with joy
Up and down in perfect pitch.
A singing voice I have not had.
So I will be the lark
And sing and sing and sing.
Thanks for reading and I apologise that I have no photos of the birds and I do envy some of the American bloggers photos of birds in the USA; Boeta in South Africa, Simon Bowler in the UK and all others. Here in this woodland the birds are so wild and elusive. They sense binoculars and dodge between the many leaves of the evergreen oak, cork and olive. Sometimes they preen on a tall bare leaved cherry or the stag head of an ancient chestnut. There are blackcaps and redstarts about but many warblers haven’t arrived yet and neither has the bee eater. Some storks have become resident on church towers around here but others have returned from an African sojourn. I have seen some different buntings. Cirl and Rock bunting and Wheatear but all elude my attempts to photo them! Yet!
