"birdwatcher" poems
A birdwatcher
A bus driver
A golfer
An airman
A man
With strong hands and a firm heart
And “the nosiest man alive”
According to his wife
A great-grandfather
A grandfather
A father
A friend
With unconditional compassion for all
Remembered by everyone who encountered him
The truest example of love and kindness
Now, may his legacy live on through the hearts he changed
For his soul is now at peace.
Feb 8, 2016
Feb 8, 2016 at 10:32 PM UTC
Both furthest north & furthest west
in all of America, we drove
through pouring rain
A sign on the side of the road
read Beach 1
After days of driving, driving
through Washington, Oregon,
we arrived at a beach we never intended to find
The beach where water flowed
in streams across the sand,
where a family of seals
swam close to shore, playing,
disappearing into the flat & endless water
I saw a bald eagle for the first time
as we drove through Washington,
I watched it fly above us through the window
clouded with raindrops,
I thought I felt patriotic for a minute or two
Though I’m neither birdwatcher nor patriot,
the solemn bird left me
with a strange feeling, which I realized wasn’t patriotism--
the strength & bitterness in the bird’s eyes
and its steady, prideful flight
belonged to no country
The feeling returned to me
on this beach of another world,
or of this world before it was
The feeling was that it was good to be alive
and that I would change nothing
about my existence,
A thousand agonies were worth enduring
to have seen that bird
and the first of all beaches
When the sky is brilliantly dark,
when freshwater penetrates driftwood, joins
the ocean on the first
and only necessary beach:
Yes, it is good to be alive
Jun 27, 2018
Jun 27, 2018 at 10:30 PM UTC
I’m here to capture birds!
Exclaimed the hiker in the back
We’d made the call to pick him up
Along our dusty track
He spoke at quite a volume
And his statement had me fear
Just what kind of character
Was riding with us here
And it was with due concern
We were alone it did occur
As upon our exploration
Of the great outback it were
What does he do with birds?
I thought to myself and friend
By her glance I saw that she’d
Considered the same end
Perhaps he’s meaning humans
When he speaks to us of birds
Playing time to make a strike
Misleading with his words
We best get to the bottom
I don’t like the sound of this
And who the hell captures birds?
There is something here amiss
Tell us more dear hiker
For we don’t understand
Do you mean your taking photos
Of birds in this great land?
Again he answers loudly
Cameras are no match
Birds don’t sit still, so with his eyes
He considers it a catch
Things become much clearer
And I feel somewhat a fool
He’s just an honest birdwatcher
Doing it old school
And he’s from a foreign country
Dutch I hazard the guess
Are you from the Netherlands?
He replies a booming yes!
The man has quite the passion
He’s travelled very far
Just for our birds, first by plane
And lately in our car
But we are in the outback
What on earth brought you here?
Twas by the train with a few stops
For rare birds that I could peer
This hiker most impressive
Tell us more of what you’ve seen
Speak of rare birds you’ve captured
And places that you’ve been
I have been to Epping!
Loud and proud he is again
I stayed with a friend
And caught your fairy wren
I have been to Capertee
And nothing could be sweeter
Than spotting a rare endangered
Regent Honeyeater
I’ve been to Lake Menindee
Full it’s quite the site to see
But pretty rainbow bee eaters
Are what appealed to me
Outside of Broken Hill we were
When our paths converged
We to spot rare flowers
Him to capture birds
We reached his sanctuary
And dropped him at the gate
Sorry that we couldn’t join
The day was getting late
We made for sculptured sunset
He waved grateful, on his own
As we drove off, we wondered
How the hell would he get home?
Jan 26, 2018
Jan 26, 2018 at 8:57 PM UTC
Awake to radiant hues
Sweet sunrise lullabies
Cherry red underbelly
Take me to your home in the cold night
Let us dance a fearless catwalk
Don’t hide in silence
Let’s dance
A naked truth uncovers us aloud
May 23, 2020
May 23, 2020 at 11:04 AM UTC
Many lovely birds
congregate on the grass.
So many birds!
Oh, how I love to gaze out my window,
at this birdwatcher's paradise!
Sparrows, chickadees, and nuthatches
peck the lawn.
And then a magpie, two northern flickers,
and a bunch of robins fly in to join them.
Each bird is beautiful and unique
in its own way.
Each created by God,
for us to enjoy.
Some are small, some are large.
Some are quiet, some are loud.
Some are colourful, while others are plain.
But all are His,
just the same.
And I love each and every one.
But...
can I do the same with every person?
Will I love and accept them as beautiful
creations made by Him?
Or will I look down on some,
and favour others?
Will I despise the "magpie" people,
but love the "chickadees"?
I pray, Lord, teach me to love others
with Your love.
Teach me to love as You love.
For without love,
I am nothing. (1 Cor. 13)
(edited)
Aug 27, 2016
Aug 27, 2016 at 12:10 AM UTC
why, brothers, are we so angry? I’m just out of image rehab. tell mom they couldn’t get the **** so to speak, back on the oven. I know a kid of mine won’t walk the impossible dog. I know it deep down. arsonist first, birdwatcher second. drone to stork and stork to mermaid. I feel your pain.
Dec 30, 2016
Dec 30, 2016 at 6:53 PM UTC