lonely stretches
of shorn grass except high up,
birds
Copyright 2023 Brenda Davis Harsham Continue reading
Lonely in San Diego
Tag Archives: birds
Missing Migrators
missing migrators
flying flocks disappeared south,
empty nests
Copyright 2022 Brenda Davis Harsham Continue reading
June Came Late
June came late,
after May rains slanted,
and gardens were planted. Continue reading
A New Robin
Two weeks of warm, squashy, beating-heart silence,
trapped in an ever-shrinking space, unable to stand or stretch,
until finally I figure out what that egg tooth is for,
peck-peck-pecking until CRACK, the light pours in,
the blue sky winks through veiling green leaves, Continue reading
A Book by the Brook — Meet My Family!
Finds tongues in trees, books in running brooks,
Sermons in stones, and good in everything.
— William Shakespeare
Meet my Family! has adorable baby animals comparing notes on families. A raccoon kit grows up with a single-mom but a titi monkey hangs out with his dad. Swans have both parents and sea turtles have none. Laysan albatross chicks have two moms and chinstrap penguin chicks have two dads. Any kind of family unit you can imagine is normal to someone. Laura Purdie Salas wrote each animal baby a poem, and Stephanie Fizer Coleman brought them to life with her art. Continue reading
Clover Lit
Queen Anne’s Lace is
backlit by clover,
like raspberry planets
around a central star. Continue reading
Dinosaur Dawn
Used by Permission of Cindy Knoke
Used by Permission of Cindy Knoke
Used by Permission of Cindy Knoke
When dinosaurs greeted the dawn,
perhaps they tweeted and twittered,
while they preened and flirted,
just as their modern descendants
greet the dawn with a chorus that
rattles shutters and billows curtains. Continue reading
Greening Glade
Greening glade
seems still and quiet,
but it’s a magic circle
where birds sing
incantations Continue reading
Doorway to Spring
Glimpses of green
newly seen,
make my heart sing,
ah, spring. Continue reading
Juniper Jewels
Jewel-bright juniper berries
dangled like azure fairies
amidst needles unfurled,
seeking the eyes of every bird.
Berries stayed sugar sweet
until fermenting was complete.
Early spring, greedy bluejays
fell down tipsy over two days,
leaving feathers ruffled aft.
How the crows laughed.
Copyright 2016 Brenda Davis Harsham
Note: Some birds actually eat too many fermented berries and behave badly. Once I discovered that, I just had to write a poem about it. I also ran across a hilarious video of African animals overindulging on Marula fruit. A more serious poem about juniper berries is here. Have a great week!
Berries Dry
Birds feed
on berry seed
red feather
autumn weather
no rain
summer’s gain
hot day
children play
rain hat
turkeys fat
eat weeds
swollen seeds
rain late
streams in spate
school’s out
puddles: shout
Copyright 2015 Brenda Davis Harsham
Note: No matter what the weather, the birds eat and the kids play. Flocks of turkeys roam the neighborhood, pecking and munching. They’re as tall as my children and unafraid of anything but dogs!
Fairy Tent City
A sudden squall thunders.
Tent City springs up.
Way-sprites huddle –
wayfaring fae kin
dislike staying home.
They travel light:
just dancing feet,
a bit of music
and nature’s magic.
When rain pounds,
they hold fast
to one slippery slope and
conical roofs rise,
followed soon by tunes.
Fiddles sigh and drums thrum.
A lilting song climbs the scale –
a spirited counterpoint
to the pattering rain.
Birds hide under leaves
and bob their heads.
Chipmunks curl up
in their beds.
If only the music
would never stop.
Copyright 2015 Brenda Davis Harsham
Friendly Fairy Tales 