Best Tanagers Poems
Wintry days were turning mild.
After the harsh stormy days.
Still not a sound could be heard
Except the hammering of posts
As I prepared the bird feeders.
Surely it was time for their return.
Yet not a sound could I detect that evening.
So I filled the feeders with delicious seed
And went for my usual long night sleep.
But with dawn I was wide awake
For then the garden began to fill with song.
Two male scarlet tanagers settled on an oak
On the other side of the street.
I was thrilled even though
Their song sounded a bit hoarse.
Bluebirds sang a lively tune
As they fed on worms.
But what pleased me most
Was to see two meadowlarks,
The male feeding the female
As she sat on an old nest.
This spring was full of promise.
A bird’s paradise.
20 February 2021
Spring Birds Poetry Contest
Sponsored by: Constance La France
POTD
Placed 1
With the incoming sounds of spring, a resurrection of life,
the chilliness flees. Quote _ by Poet
Ready for a new season, Spring birds
Shake off winter; embracing
The bonniest warmness weather,
Babies born, and color of nature's crowns.
Scarlet Tanagers chatter, flying round,
Feasting on caterpillar’s slowness
And beetles boring away that are found;
whilst
Eternal sunlight reft through sturdy limbs
And myriad leaves of the mighty old oak;
Rapid rhythm clatter drum sounds
Of the Woodpecker on its breast shout.
A hum, a garden faintly woo a smile
At song sung by pretty red feather Robin dancing.
A sweet kiss, a seed, the male Cardinal
Feeds his blush pretty mate favor.
Yonder pond, tree boughs
Teasing the water's edge
Whilst
Little Mallard ducklings
Follow mamma to the bank.
Bluebird builds her nest
Right in the heart of the sprouting
Redbud flowering tree.
Camouflage in the red begonia
An orange breasted Oriole
With its sweet enchanting sound.
On the horizon the fire fades out,
Hush around in high perch, tiny roosting
Cold blue moon comes into sight.
2/26/2021
Poetry Contest: Spring Birds
Sponsored by: Constance La France
Summer Nights in the South
Green fireflies blink in the quiet of night
and our sleeping old dog heaves a sigh.
Dreaming, she sprints through a youthful blue sky
chasing delicate clouds, cotton-white.
A red-sunset tanager* colors the warm air
from a perch in the majestic oak limbs above
professing by lullaby, sincerely devoted love,
like some sublimely recited evening prayer.
I lay back and smile, through the leaves, at the moon
to the sound of crops rippling in the breeze
thinking how precious are nights such as these
when alone, with the Earth I commune.
*Summer Tanagers (Piranga rubra) are native to the southern U.S. but are not true tanagers. They are actually members of the cardinal family.
08/01/15
Submission for Contest: Nature Poems Only
Hosted by: Shadow Hamilton
Mediums of Winter parse
translucent runes on the tines
of sloping firs basking like mallards
in March's brusk sunshine.
Arctic oracles echo on the lake's hard sapphire
with pearl crests punctuating
Spring's arrival while cat tails exclaim
nascent umber banks. As teals float
in a tarot of amulets tanagers preen,
imbuing remnant frost with scarlet omens.
My summer garden revealed gay pansies with faces,
As the scarlet tanagers flew roundabout singing.
A rapt audience, the flowers beamed in all places,
In the hour that golden butterflies were winging!
I sat myself on the porch swing, already in motion,
And I smiled to see pretty faces turned up to me,
As I smothered joyful in sunshine sound explosion,
In an irresistible pause for midmorning's beauty!
Written on 12/31/2020
For: Podium placing promise(2) Poetry Contest
Sponsor: Brian Strand
sunflower garden
teeming with bright red roses
shares the gold spotlight
heat haze of noonday
sparkles berries on the ground
green tanagers fly
sunflower summer
of lilac purple passions
lustrous and dreamy
For quite a while we were cursing our almost ice age days and nights
Though we got our dear Santa, merry Christmas and fluid delight
Tasty chocolate before the fireplace and the warmth nestling in nightshirt
Still we were waiting when the sun would tilt to us and hug, - in fresh love
Gradually there is green affection playing along with rustling wind
Green is playground bubbly with the children in their green of breath
A mildly inebriate ease we fill in from the nips of breezy pines
A breath of life, ah, in your green hug amidst the vigorous birch and oak
Over the distant blue and green hills, scarlet tanagers at play with clouds
Cows and lambs graze soft grass sitting in hill side fields of sprawling green
Rising from the dewy greenery rapture at play on your chin
Scented air from the lilacs call us to an unknown dance
In silent steps, in a dim blue light, comes up full moon over the hill
In moonlit night all are wild in denial about their disease and death
The wild animals have come out too in order to be into each other's heat
Spring in life is as transient as a water bubble on a lotus leaf __________________________________________________________________
March 20, 2016
Time for a walk in the meadow to clear my head
I got up rather early and jumped out of bed,
A quick cup of coffee and a small piece of toast
I must get on my way before the sun will roast.
The finches and tanagers are already chirping,
The brown thrashers are diligently searching
For ripe berries and seeds in the undergrowth.
I see up ahead the mother deer and fawn both
Foraging at the edge of the distant tree line,
Ready to jump out of sight, and that’ll be fine.
I’ve seen lots of butterflies, even a few monarchs
Now an endangered species, unlike meadowlarks
Flitting here and yon, insectivorous grassland birds
No ability to fly like hummingbirds do backwards.
What a sight, seeing a skunk out before the heat
I keep my distance, ready to make a hasty retreat,
But, he pays me no mind while searching for grub
I’m making my way through tall grass and shrub.
My feet getting wet, I hadn’t expected much dew
I realize too late that I’ve worn the wrong shoe!
My spirits are lifted and I’ve much food for thought
The sun is mid to morning and I have what I sought
A refreshing walk and, now, I can face the day
Even if my peace is disturbed by a squawking bluejay!
Written July 26, 2022
“And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air…” Genesis 2:19 of the King James Bible
Awesome spring birds, fowls of the air, according to God Almighty
Blessings to nature, inspiring mankind with their avian business:
Cardinals courageously cheer along comforting chatters
Delightful blue jays, in their distinct sounds, defy despair
Eager ducklings excite pet lover’s enthusiasm
Fluttering bluebirds feature themselves as adorable flock
Glee-filled chickadees chirp goodness’ greetings
Humming birds sing out their hoisting call for hope
Interesting flute-like tones from male orioles inspire
Jubilant woodpeckers chisel nests joyously
Kindness twitters sociable robins midst friendship kindling
Lovely tanagers in brilliant plumage perch in liberty…
Many more are they… manifesting Creator-endowed “birdie” magnificence.
February 26, 2021
2nd place, "Spring Birds" Poetry Contest
Sponsored by Constance La France; judged on 2/27/2021.
she leaves her sonsy
at home
stripping mind down
to bare essentials:
dangling dendrites
ice breaks pure
untainted by carnal warming;
it’s a gray revolution and
telekinetic foreplay’s the rage
our tongues untie
in didactic spurts;
lips engage,
words fly like scarlet tanagers
cued to celestial magnets
she leads,
I follow;
together we migrate
to higher ground
beyond the snare
of flesh-baited tackles
dulcet is love
consummated in the cerebral zone...
~ P
Freedom is a state I seek
Every moment I lie awake
Another sunray filters in
Rousing rumors when sleep set in
Over thinking every move I make
Forgetting nothing but what matters
Mindless muddles of troubled thought
No erasing what's unwittingly taught
Empty cupboards and a life that's hollow
Morning such a tough pill to swallow
A day with me on the back porch swing
Listening closely to the Tanagers sing
Another day just like the last
Time ticking by but not to fast
Tanagers in green trees, swinging,
Scarlet night of pearl moon, singing,
A day's come of age, romance peak,
Kitty roams the wall, dark mystique,
Blooms lustrous, radiance clinging!
Written on 6/4/2022
For: The Moon in June (Choose One of Five Forms)
Poetry Contest
Sponsor: Andrea Dietrich
in sun drenched noon lost in light
smiling gently to herself
she is on the path of pinks
with their clove like scent
tanagers and scarlet birds
come to the midday calling
but she is off to somewhere
flowers in her hand
With the incoming sounds of spring, a resurrection of life,
the chilliness flees. Quote _ by Poet
Ready for a new season, Spring birds
Shake off winter; embracing
The bonniest warmness weather,
Babies born, and color of nature's crowns.
Scarlet Tanagers chatter, flying round,
Feasting on caterpillar's slowness
And beetles boring away that are found;
whilst
Eternal sunlight reft through sturdy limbs
And myriad leaves of the mighty old oak;
Rapid rhythm clatter drum sounds
Of the Woodpecker on its breast shout.
A hum, a garden faintly woo a smile
At song sung by pretty red feather Robin dancing.
A sweet kiss, a seed, the male Cardinal
Feeds his blush pretty mate favor.
Yonder pond, tree boughs
Teasing the water's edge
Whilst
Little Mallard ducklings
Follow mamma to the bank.
Bluebird builds her nest
Right in the heart of the sprouting
Redbud flowering tree.
Camouflage in the red begonia
An orange breasted Oriole
With its sweet enchanting sound.
On the horizon the fire fades out,
Hush around in high perch, tiny roosting
Cold blue moon comes into sight.