on clear nightwatch ,
a hundred cranes soar west
before thick rain
Prying avians
appearing over the scene
angular plumage
cranes flying
into silhouettes~
rising moon
lights crack, breezes of salt drown the eyes
Toss heads of dye, howls collide, the waves still
Pacing the wharf, glances leer throughout, giants tear through the skies
Decrepit soul, thirst of white, it is a race to uphill
To a place of barren dreams, no ink to spare
Quakes crash, again, again, I'm awake, no... , you won't reach it
A man, drifting across time, ill words blurred with satire
Forget it, once more, once more, it has a form, no..., you can't face it
Turmoil, a fading beating, repressed a voice that will vanish
Never did you look up, there you were, as always, folding cranes
An old hat, lips staggering, that face is no more, a life that will vanquish
Detached farewells, fractured, as you diverge leaving your bygones
Dazed, as you keep stumbling, cries drowned in clamor, a mind looped in trance
You... mute as sights follow, a mind frenzied in silence
You were sharp|ning grass
With your eyes | sit & fixed
Again | a substitute for mow|n
Machine chug|ging along lug
Nuts, molar friction | u - r - n .
Lawn stretches of up|beat
Beach | was there even wind?
Filet a cannonade me | see
The crayons fly | in a circle
A head | towards blu|er | stretches
There | where clouds resemble.
Light is a commodity, scream!
Silly | man | omnibus no teacher
Not even a man. Well still: Lorine
Niedecker e|merges like new
Breath, pulp come together
Mis|hearing cranes, a making
Multicolor wax, bending fuse
Forge |X| fissure for left foot |
Right foot,—we'll find a job a kind
Of game | it’s just planes turned
Paper crane | creosote guardians
A dead lean-to shouldering volts.
under maple leaves,
autumn whispers to the stream—
crimson shadows fall
a lone crane bends to the light
graceful in the fading glow
cranes fly overhead
gliding gracefully through air
calm easy going
NOT ALL BIRDS OF A FEATHER
``````````
When I hear the whooping cranes
Singing their glad refrains
I know the seasons are changing fast
And we can enjoy a spring at last
``````````
These sand cranes whirl around the sky
And swoop and dive as they fly
They know the fields on the ground
Will give them food and water sound
``````````
Their only fear is of mankind
So I never expect I will find
Them close to me where I can say
I will show kindness every day
``````````
Not all beings are full of hate
And have no care for other's fate
Forever we spread God's love around
For we now know where love is found
``````````
Soon in the future we will see
Only love will always be
All creatures will be free from fright
Will whoop and play right in our sight
``````````
Copyright, Kathryn Search
Origami cranes
(Orizuru)
By Michelle Morris
09/10/2022
I folded one thousand origami cranes
And I made a wish when you were born
My heart was pure and magical
Filled with love and hope and yearning
My wish was carried to the stars
Where it sparkled to Heaven's beings
And they came to look after you
Your Guardian Angels unseen
They're with you every single step
That you take on your journey
And they'll bless and guide your way
Through every single experience
May you always feel their presence
And know that you are loved by all
Beyond all space and time
You are our precious baby girl
© Michelle Morris, 2022
The old cranes, arthritic with rust,
bathe their long shadows in the river.
Iron sinews that pulled and strained
to lift load after load of scrap
now dangle loosely from redundant arms.
An eerie quiet settles the wharf where
the last ship was pried away by tugs.
My shadow still lingers there,
lengthening in the green water,
reaching out towards an absence
where my ancestors once had
their home. Soon, nothing will remain
but a vacated space without title,
slowly filling with the rubble
dug out of the excavations
from other people's lives.
An energetic wedge of blue cranes doing mating dances
entered into Little Bear’s dream state without warning
Are they my totem? My spiritual advisors? My power animals?
He believed in such things, being Navaho.
He asked the revered shaman for advice
The crane will bring you luck and fortune
You will succeed where others have failed.
Keep him; he will teach you to prioritize.
The blue crane specifically will bring you peace.
Teach you to meditate, and be mindful.
You will better listen to the universe.
She is always speaking.
Little Bear had always been cheerful,
But this dream uplifted his heart.
Made him incredibly joyful.
He was a changed brave.
Our wing span is six to eight feet
Our V-formation cannot be beat
We fly from the Ukraine to Germany
Winters are spent in North Africa you see
Our wings flap all the way across the sea
Our long legs rest as we travel in our vee.
We soar on thermal currents when over land
High altitudes help us glide in our little band.
We are the Eurasian Cranes, pleased to meet you.
Our hairy crest announces our type quickly too.
We can fly as high as thirty-three thousand feet.
Our socialization skills are to be envied, they are sweet.
If you want to see us, come to the Ukraine.
You can hike, walk, or take the holiday train.
When you see a large pterodactyl-like bird up in the sky.
With a huge wingspan, it is probably us, gliding by.
cranes water dance
flapping wings before their flight
never to return
May 22, 2021
ragtag rainbows rush -
sun and rainstorm mingling -
white crane fantasies
January 23, 2020
A Nature Themed Haiku with Color Poetry Contest
All around I see the cranes
Of buildings growing taller,
Contributing to blocking out the sky,
Which seems much smaller.
They haul supplies, enabling
The placing of the beams
To disrupt the city skyline
And fulfill somebody's dreams.
The cranes are not at fault, although
They're easier to blame.
Without them our fair city
Couldn't play this modern game.
But since they're here, the buildings rise,
Monstrosities of glass,
The beauty of the views we knew
Abruptly come to pass.
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