The first chirp of the robin near my shut window pleaded
The blackbird, song thrush, chiffchaff, and pheasant pleaded as well.
The sunflowers, cornflowers, and marigolds that needed
Prayed for his help; he was as silent as a silent spell.
Fishes, amphibians, reptiles, and weak invertebrates
Hares, squirrels, owls, puffins, swans, geese, and willow ptarmigan
Lions, leopards, tigers, elephants, and monkeys with rude traits
Prayed; the cosmos seemed as though curled. The sun's silence went on.
As playgrounds were snow-covered, in gloomy moods, children prayed.
Mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, and cousins called. He said:
When I was shining, your minds seemed seismically swayed.
Can't you, when I am cool, with your inner warmth, march ahead?
Winter's whimsies play vehement games on the sun, so sure
Which element of nature, without him, can their wounds cure?
Snow chickens dust the high moors.
White partridges grounded by rain
crouch and huddle
burrow into the gorse
then as if forgetting the storm
they heave up into the wet air
just a little way
just enough to
cluck, bluster, and rattle,
then to settle back
scolding and flustered
as only termagant ptarmigan
can.
Binoculars tight to eyes,
soaked, ankle deep in mud -
chilled to the bone.
Highland cattle
stare back blankly
as if I were just another
silent P.
Snow chickens dust the high moors.
White partridges grounded by rain
crouch and huddle
burrow into the gorse
then as if forgetting the storm
heave up into the wet air
just a little way
cluck, bluster, and rattle,
only then to settle back
scolding and flustered
as only termagant ptarmigan
can.
Binoculars tight to eyes,
soaked, ankle deep in mud -
chilled to the bone.
Highland cattle
stare back blankly
as if I were another
silent P.
Wildlife 25
There once was a young Ptarmigan,
Who tried to fly under a van'
It gave him a thrill,
So he hollered "Road Kill!"
And was eaten for dinner by Stan.
The phone app said "unhealthy"
To describe Denali's air.
The sky was gray and smoky
All the hours we were there.
So we were disappointed;
Thought the day would be a bust
'Til somebody hollered "Moose!"
Our brakes kicked up a heap of dust.
A mother moose and baby
Ambled by in camera range.
Then an antlered caribou strolled close -
Our luck began to change.
More caribou were spotted
In the distance, in a herd,
Then a sharp-eyed passenger yelled out
That much-awaited word:
"Bear!" We all looked over
And a grizzly came in view.
He lumbered in the bushes
Seeking berries where they grew.
Our fortune held - the driver spied
A most impressive lynx,
Who crossed the road both back and forth.
(Just showing off, methinks.)
A final sighting- quite a brood
Of willow ptarmigan
(They're the state bird of Alaska)
Got the cameras out again.
We saw no sheep or eagles
And the sky was far from blue.
What a treat, though, watching wildlife!
(And they never even knew...)
Inspired by and dedicated to Jan Allison and the amazing moorland bird, the Ptarmigan.
nights... no clouds... moonlit
shadows race over moorland
double silhouettes
~~
deemed monsters... shadows
the ancients misnamed... fauna...
double silhouettes
WINTER SERIES
~~~~~~~~~~~
winter beauty
belies danger... all take heed
snow can kill
moonlit snow... behold
mountain hare's... shadows feeding
ermine coated stoats
winter ptarmigan...
shadows that move up hills
white fauna hiding
snow buntings... confounders
white through spring and summer times
there is always one
Mum roasted a ptarmigan for tea
But the meal didn't satisfy me
It was a scrawny old bird
The taste was pretty absurd
So I'm off to the chip shop quickly!
On Monday I was using a random word generator and it came up with Ptarmigan which is a word I had never heard of. I've since discovered it's a bird which is native to Canada but they can also be found in Scotland
06-17-17
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