What do you do with a perfect day?
Sky’s a clear blue… let’s canoe…bayou still…no wind…smooth strokes…sun setting slow…an orange glow behind the towering smoke stack…abandoned mill…concrete riprap…a nest for trash…discarded life tokens.
A distant roar…speed boat…they see us hanging at the edge…cut the motor……push, pull, turn…cross waves…speed on.
Crossing under the bridge…sun’s gone…sky darkens…paddle strengthens…then we hear it…a distant hoot…the owl swishes overhead…beginning his hunt…who-cooks-for-you-you-all familiar call…calling sunset’s end… pull to dock…warm glow of home.
The idea for this poetry format came from Poets and Writers The Time is Now Writing Prompts.
Mmmm…this is delicious. I am there with you, Margaret. I love the call of the Barred Owl as you paddle between industrialized shores and nature. Thanks for taking me along.
It does sound like a perfect day. Beautiful writing. I like the use of ellipses throughout.
I love how you set the scene for your poem and deeply tapped into the senses to pull the reader right into that canoe with you. As I gaze outside and see a blanket of snow, I long for the days that I can paddle out on the lake and notice nature’s beauty.
living on the bayou and kayaking at sunset seem so exotic to me. You captured its essence in your post today. I’ve always been a fan of ellipses, but never thought of using them in a poem. Thanks for the idea!
I cannot even imagine the exquisite beauty that was right outside your back door! You described it beautifully. I loved the surprise entrance of the owl!