Birds and Nature Poetry from Year of The Poet (Vol 30)

Featured in The Year of the Poet June, 2016 Volume 30.

Safety at Home

Feigning injury a momma robin
hobbles as if her wing is broken
drawing attention away
away from her nest

Nearby an Australian Sheppard puppy clutches
with joy and pride a baby bird
his trophy
confused by humans
trying to grab his treasure

He doesn’t know the fear and sadness
provoked by his prize
showing off
he wants to do something good
catching those who lurk

Every night he barks
at deer passing by
and things that go thump
night protector of his home

Perplexed the baby taken away
amid shouts
like a game he chases
the tiny robin gently carried
into the garden enclosure
to sit protected from him
for a while
before flying away home

Bird poetry in garden by Andrew Alexander on Unsplash

Quails Calling

In the purple gray dawn
sleep falling from my eyes
the sound of hih-ha-go … hih-ha-go
never fails to bring me home

Images of my mother
throwing a cup of seeds
into a bed of walnut shells
under the pine trees
a summer breeze blowing
aspens dancing

Hih-ha-go Hih-ha-go
they come running
when she has withdrawn
a safe distance into the house
watching as they breakfast

Today I lay in my own bed
my own home now enveloped
in the sounds of quail

The Year of the Poet Volume 30, June 2016 Inner Child Press, Poetry Posse, Kimberly Burnham, Black Necked Stilt

Magpie Haiku

black white harmony
bobbing clear in searching flight
food shelter delight

Originally published in The Year of The Poet (volume 30) at http://www.innerchildpress.com/the-year-of-the-poet.php on Jun 1, 2016.