Poetry Friday round-up is with Carol at Carol’s Corner.
My mother-in-law just returned from a trip to Whidbey Island in Washington where she did some amazing bird watching with her second son’s family. I was most intrigued by her description of the western sandpiper’s murmuration. I’ve only seen murmurations on video. I’d love to see one is real life. Breathtaking!
Laura Purdie Salas posts an image on Thursday for a weekly poetry writing prompt, “15 words or less.” This week she had a picture of a sculpture in the Houston Convention Center that I probably passed by numerous times and didn’t take notice. The art piece looked like a flock of birds. My mind went to sandpiper murmurations. (My sister-in-law sent me this video. It’s mesmerizing.)
Dunlin sandpiper migration
high wind murmuration
frosty sunrise creation
bird watchers’ salvation(c) Margaret Simon
If you read my poem on Laura’s site (we post them in the comments), you may notice a correction in the breed of bird from sandhill crane to dunlin sandpiper. I did some fact checking.
Mary Lee Hahn invited us to join her in a December haiku-a-day project. I’ve started early. When I returned from my morning walk, I took this picture of grandmother oak, but what I noticed was the color of the cypress tree behind her. I don’t usually see this color. Most of the time, the cypress trees quickly shed their needles. I wonder why they are holding on longer this fall.
photo by Margaret Simon
Bronze cypress needles
cling as a child on rope swing
resist winter’s grip#haikuforhope
(c) Margaret Simon
Reflections on the Teche 