May 19, 2019
I started writing this poem during a walk several weeks back. April was National Poetry Month, so I made it a goal of mine to write and share a rhyme with all of you. I’m a little late in getting this out, but figured it was still relevant. My writing never quite goes as planned, but I think it does a good job to capsulate my thoughts and feelings at the time-hope you enjoy!
Today on our walk an avian friend expelled waste on me ● A wet little drop aimed from above in the tree ● It happened so suddenly I couldn’t hide my surprise ● Leaning my head back I gazed up to the skies ● No winged creature awaited me there ● Not even a gnat was caught in my stare ● No action-shot from the beaked beast ● Probably up in its nest, enjoying a tasty feast ● Now my shoulder smells a little bit fishy ● But my pup just trots along, oblivious is he ● Of the stink-attack his mother recently sustained ● From a feathered fowl with spring goals on its brain ● To gather food to feed to its young ● And then nesting material when that chore is done ● Hopping around from one branch to another ● Never ending tasks for bird father and mother ● I don’t believe the intention was to cause distress ● When its instinct drives its behaviors and progress ● To hunt and eat and eventually digest……. ● Makes sense that the end-product might make a mess! ● finding trinkets outside can be pretty darn cool ● but I was the target for wildlife’s spent fuel! ● The simple act of being excreted upon ● Reminded me that in nature there’s much going on ● To the untrained and bored eye it might appear dirty ● But its raw and unfiltered; makes more sense if you’re nerdy ● Writing about nature brings me great peace ● As I catalog every pebble, insect, animal track and leaf ● Earlier that day I watched an Osprey fly by ● Twigs packed in its mouth, as it soared way up high ● A loan Bufflehead in the middle of the lake ● Slowly swimming about, waiting for its mate ● A Sapsucker rattles on an old leaning alder ● Drilling here and there, not a care or a bother ● Determined to find sweet nourishment inside ● Returning to its wells to lick the sap left behind ● There’s a frog on a log bathing in the sun ● “plop” in the water as its legs propel it on ● Gartner snake slithering through the underbrush ● Sensing pup and passerby, it was in a bit of a rush ● The reeds gently rustle as it twists on through ● The vibrations from our steps were an alarming clue ● Clusters of Horsetail grow straight and tall ● Next to the Nootka rose hips with occasional galls ● Their prickly stems defending seed and flower ● Though not good enough from the deer that devour ● The tasty leaves, buds and fresh new growth ● Grazing spring veg is something they love the most ● The lake’s smooth surface is broken by many water striders ● Meanwhile the rushes are webby from busily working spiders ● Constantly repairing their strands from wriggling insects and morning dew ● To ensure a meal doesn’t accidently pass right through ● The daisies are numerous, their petals pink and white ● With bumblebees bobbing by, life sustained by sunlight ● Dandelions housing western spotted cucumber beetles ● Growing amidst the grass and dropped fir needles ● Lichen, moss and fern adorn every tree ● With acorns, cones and leaves scattered underneath ● the last of the mushrooms pop up in clusters here and there ● Gilled, shelf, jelly, and turkey tail everywhere ● Wherever I look something new has arrived ● Plants and animals emerge side by side to thrive ● This is spring in Washington, it’s unpredictable and wild ● The weather can be extreme, the weather can be mild ● Somedays it’s 70, warm and dry ● Others it’s 50 and rain falls from up high ● But whatever the day, and wherever the place ● Exploring will bring a smile to one’s face ● especially when a good sense of humor is key ● to appreciate the finer elements; like droppings formed of uric acid or "pee"!
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