Monday, October 15, 2007

My Side

I didn't plan to write a sequel to the previous poem entitled "Wounded Bird". But today I found myself jotting the following in my Moleskine: "You have this mostly right, but not entirely." Whoa--Who said, that??!, I asked myself.

It seems there is more to be said--directly from the Wounded Bird herself.

I fly from necessity
Hovering over leafy trees and endless water,
Following an unestimable path from home

Only to return again,
Where I’ll find my roots and rhythm
Deeply tucked in grainy sand.

I do not question why I do this--
This destiny of family and fate--
What I cannot fathom I will not change.

My 12 feather tail and meager wing span
Weigh in below two ounces,
Not enough for my survival

And yet I maneuver and endure,
I doggedly sing my song
And tuck my broken wing

Under my expanding and rapid chest
Until I know if
I might fly again.

If I should die here
Unable to lift myself beyond this place
I will fly anyway

Straight to this indominable future
Where I will be an African River Martin
tending and fending

Reaching still and always,
Weightless in my belief
That I was born for just this moment.

25 comments:

  1. I think she might want to be in Lavender's avaiary - safe and fed good food by a lovely woman. :-) or she can be in Anon's backyard but I don't know if Jack would like a permanet backyard visitor. :-)

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  2. Oh by the way, you are a very good poet and quite clever my dear.

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  3. Oh no ... she would be an intorduced species in my back yard. Normally those birds don't struggle to survive, although they do live her and now ;)

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  4. "introduced" *sigh* You are very clever KJ ... like Ces says!

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  5. "HERE" and now .... *sigh sigh*
    It's 36 degrees here at the moment ... *blush*

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  6. I meant aviary, sigh, it's 1242 and that's not the temperature.

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  7. hey you two! since when did my blog become a classroom for spelling mistakes? besides, even if you correct those mistakes, you can't get a grade higher than B-. i am the teacher in this blog and i may even give both of you a C for not taking a serious poem seriously. i know i can't give either of you a 'time out' because all you would do is talk to oneanother and giggle in the corner.

    and ces my likewise dear: i am still waxing poetic and foregoing common english. you are just trying to butter me up...

    chirp...tweet....etc.

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  8. I've NEVER had below an A!!!!! This class is too difficult Ces ... I'm flying to easier grounds! *flutter, swoop, boing!* Who left the butter out?

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  9. I think I spely 'boing' wrongly ...

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  10. anon,i'm notifying the truant officer. you can't just leave the classroom. besides, if you're used to getting all A's, this will help you develop much needed humility....

    no! no! you must sit quietly at your desk and spell 'boing' correctly 100 times on a sheet of paper.

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  11. This is a beautiful poem but I just cannot associate with any sadness. My literature teacher taught me to put myself in the place of the poet so I can FEEL the emotions and understand the intent. I know what you are trying to convey but I would rather go to recess or PE. I may even tolerate Home Economics and learn all types of stitches. Your A+ bloggers will soon chime in anyway and your blog will be back to normal.

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  12. I read poetry differently from Ces ... I'll never know or understand what the artist was really thinking or feeling, however relate to the way I feel ... here and now. The poem was also written 'then'; but a fleeting moment in time gone past. Some can't fly from necessity whether they want to or not!

    (I don't necessarily want to write 'boing' a hundred times)

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  13. "some can't fly from necessity whether they want to or not!

    ha! anon, you've snuck in a mouthful of poetic truth. so what do you know about actual birds with broken wings, anyway?

    ces, you are incorrigible. very bright, very insightful, and very incorrigible. that's ok, however, because i (mostly) like it.

    :)

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  14. I might just add there is only total freedom that's death. Instead, you make me write 'boing' even if I try to fly to the girl's bathroom ...

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  15. This is good. Very good.
    I actually enjoyed reading this.
    Thanks!

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  16. That is soooo beautiful - I am into birds at the moment! ;)

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  17. There are some of us for whom,
    sadness is embossed on our spirits.
    Try as we might to loose its fetters,
    we are never free.
    Like a tree in autumn,
    we do not die.
    We wait.

    Erm, excuse me if thats a bit heavy....Ahem. I didnt mean to write a poem in response to yours - but my response to yours is a poem...I digress!

    All birds in need are welcome in my aviary!!!! Hugs!

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  18. kj, this is a beautifully sad poem, to me it is about faith. Faith in the universe that what is supposed to happen, will happen. It is meant to be, and sometimes just letting go and believing is what is needed to fulfill one's destiny and be at peace. I like that idea.

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  19. anon, you totally fascinate me!!

    peterbie, thank you yet again for your kind words!

    chief, if you are into birds, you should visit anonymous' blog. just click on her name here. you will be entertained and delighted by birds to your heart's content.

    lavender, "like a tree in autumn,
    we do not die.
    we wait".
    that is quite beautifuly said and written. would you ever consider writing some poetry on your blog?

    rm, you really get this. i am honored that is the case. this poem is not sad to me, since the bird is quite accepting and comfortable with it all...

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  20. So nice that you came to call, and I have just returned the compliment, and will come back again.
    As a bird person I love your sentiments, not to mention your versification.

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  21. Your poems would go perfectly with music... have you ever considered aligning yourself with a guitarist or musician? You feel like you are soaring whilst reading your poems! Really beautiful kj!!!

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  22. ian, thank you. i welcome your visit and will enjoy your blog very much.

    ooooh val! you make me blush. :)

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  23. The last three lines are lovely, KJ ... I felt like I was right there with this bird ..

    Have you seen the movie Winged Migration -- it's fantastic. And you'll never look at a V of flying Canada geese the same way again ...

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  24. melissa, i have a special kinship with 'winged migration'. i was developing an independent art movie theatre at the time and when this came to the screen, with our 65 seat theatre, it was the most wonderous sight i had ever seen. talk about being part of something you would never ever otherwise see....

    x0

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  25. Poidogz poetry:

    Sadness can be a blanket
    Fighting off the bitter winds of true heartbreak
    Beware that it does not also shield you from the warming rays of the sun
    The winds of true heartbreak may well dust off your wings
    And carry you aloft.

    (Hopefully before the cat eats you).

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