Monday, April 2, 2012

For the Birds/Bird Chatter


Image: Parke Harrison


















For the Birds

Mr. Starling was his name,
Ornithology his game:
studying the birds both far and wide.
On researching the clues
he might take off his shoes
to get a better view of what’s inside.


Bird Chatter

We come into this world as naked as a jaybird.
Our parents give us wings, teach us to fly;
until we can finally leave the nest.

We tend to migrate toward similar people--
because birds of a feather flock together.

Knowing that the early bird gets the worm
we work hard to earn a feather in our cap.
When courting, we try not to ruffle any feathers,
hoping to find a wise owl rather than a silly goose.

We come home to roost, and feather our nest,.
Try not count our chicks before they’ve hatched,
then raise our brood until they can wing it alone

Once again empty nesters, we get our ducks in a row.
By now we should be sitting in the catbird’s seat,
maybe flying south each winter as snowbirds.

No longer a spring chicken nor cock of the walk,
just a couple of old crows that are happy as larks
we await our final swan song, 
to soar like an eagle into the sunset.

© Ginny Brannan April 1, 2011

Written for The Mag #111 Image provided by Tess Kincaid. She provides image, we provide story!!
AND
Sharing at d'Verse Poets Pub Open Link Night Week #38 4/03/12


21 comments:

  1. ginny...both of these are great...glad the first is a polite chap at least...smiles...the second though is marvelously spun as you use all the bird ref in our lives and it works really well...very well done...

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  2. I really like them both....nicely done and thanks for sharing all your words here

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  3. great take!! Mr Staling was his name LOL

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  4. ....and life flies by... i like all the images...esp. the part when we parents help them use their wings...a good thing that is..mine are already flying...and not too bad...smiles

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  5. Ha! I love these... I smiled all the way through the second one...

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  6. From egg right through to flying south for retirement in warmer climes. Lovely :)

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  7. I love it Ginny....the first one was my thoughts when I saw the picture. The second one take a whole spectrum of life...I think I am still right in the middle..still waiting for their wings though I am no spring chicken ~

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  8. Amazing, Ginny. I love them both!

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  9. I'm smiling so "big" it hurts. So much fun wordplay in this. Mr. Starling, indeed!

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  10. You definitely made the most of the pictorial prompt, with unique perspectives, and a plethora of wry wordplay.

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  11. Clever comparisons, bringing out the similarities. The spirit that we have that soars. No wonder we use those phrases too! :)

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  12. Ginny,
    These were just great. The second was so imaginative and well crafted. A real enjoyment. Super job.

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  13. Genius! I love how you tied in all the bird sayings. I've often thought we could communicate well in idiom language.

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  14. Genius! I love how you tied in all the bird sayings. I've often thought we could communicate well in idiom language but to the untrained mind it could come out sounding like cockney rhyming slang.

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    Replies
    1. Colleen, I got a kick out of your comment about "cockney rhyming slang!!" How true! As poets, we tend to shun use of "idioms" or adages, as they are considered "cliché," something we try to avoid in our writing. But I also think they are like a common language, a 'slang' we can all understand. It was rather fun for a change, using them to compose this. Thanks for your comment!

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  15. Ginnyyyyyyyy!!!! the second poem was a great metaphor. the more I read and thought about it...the more I thought...'people ARE like birds'- you've got our crows (i've met plenty of them), you've got our swans (grand and pompous) you've got your starlings (cheeky!)...Just love your imagination in this

    No longer a spring chicken nor cock of the walk,
    just a couple of old crows that are happy as larks
    we await our final swan song,
    to soar like an eagle into the sunset.

    this last stanza just nails it

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  16. Have you discovered that sometimes the chicks come home to roost again, and again? Such is the fate of old crows in today's economic aviary.

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    1. I have a "boomerang" chick currently roosting at home right now. It's all good though! It's a tough economy dictating all our fates right now.

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  17. Old adages remain the best ... well done!

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Thank you for reading my poetry and sharing your thoughts.