Hummingbird

I imagine it was once slow and grey
then color came to a lackluster world,
tinted throats drank sunlight 
through bowls of honey and light.
Eons shed a useless weight, 
until a flint of flight hummed bright,
on shimmering winds.

This morning, one comes to my decking,
an iridescence, its long thin beak held high
as it hovers beside a red and yellow feeder.

It casts a shadow on the wooden floor, 
a silhouette much larger than itself.
If I look only at the shadow 
it could be some fanciful auk
descending out of a lost world,
but no, it is only a hummingbird,
a speck of color 
blown from a windmill of creation
like the rest of us.
Copyright © | Year Posted 2019

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Allison Avatar
September 8, 2019 at 12:06 PM
gorgeous imagery Eric, I'd love to see one for real:-) hugs jan xx
Ashford Avatar
September 8, 2019 at 12:27 PM
Hi Jan, I am English, but have lived in America for some time now. It was great to discover them in such abundance here. The small colorful birds are a delight in any backyard. So glad you liked the poem.
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