Scolopax

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No fanfare greets your late return,
No chattered dipped inflections,
No yearned for sunny silhouettes.

No, November’s solitary influx
Seeps, a secret spreading stain.
A million marvel migrants fled.

The chilling landscape, flushed you
Fast, by night. Alone. And tracked
From Borat’s best to wet Wales’ West.

Safely here, the epigenetic switch
Flicks, and tuned for far too long,
Outwits the guns, the hawks, the traps.

The too rich flesh, those worm fed breasts,
Compels this prey. Avoids bright day.
Crepuscular, the only way

To fly a chance, and hunker, shy
By day amongst the drab, dropped
Leaves. A scrubby lair, a lie, such

Superhydrophobic feathered
Warmth, the cold rain’s drench
Inconsequential.

Before the hands click round
And stoppage time draws near,
Reflect. Leave guns behind and

As the woodcock moon swells full,
Make time to stand. Still. Scan the scene,
As Scolopax streak down, dusk brown, to probe.

Still edgy as night falls.
Fearful isolates,
But free.

24/12/2021

With thanks to Fiona for cleverly merging a couple of my photos for this post, and once again for Gabriel Hemery’s inspiration, and permission to use his poems last time.

 

5 thoughts on “Scolopax”

  1. Beautiful photograph. It is a creation to share with others at another time and another place so the time and the place should not be as important to me as the sensation it gave me. So thank you Fiona. Thank you also for the recording as I am sure I recognise this sound, it sounded like ducks (?) when we were walking in the woods. Amelia

    • Thanks Amelia, and when I need anything photographically manipulating with different images merged, Fiona is absolutely the person to do it… as well as proof reading! A straighter beak, a bit bigger for the bird, moved a little to the left of the moon …I’m very fortunate to have such a willing (mostly!) and able co-worker. Glad you recognised the sounds – very distinctive I thought, and if all the data is to be believed not something I’m ever likely to experience here, but guessed that you might,
      best wishes
      Julian

  2. With a change of laptops I lost track of your posts but am delighted to have reconnected again. Best wishes for the New Year.

  3. Pingback: The Early Worm Shoots the Bird; Granted Wishes; January and Inconvenient Curiosity. | thegardenimpressionists

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