Birds and Animals
CURLEW CALL
Vibrating the air
the call rides over mudflats
rolls low over receding
tidal places
fields and edge spaces,
always near the sea.
Curved beaked curlews
call, call, call
captivating is its call,
enchantment to ensnare
the listener’s heart,
so that ever after
evoked by the haunting
repeated call
turning now to then
upon simple notes
to misty tidal mornings –
hear it again
echo, reprise, echo
curlew calls
curlew curlew curlew
call call
curlew.
Merchywen (Aurora J Stone) [2013]
FOX SONG
White bones silvering in the earth.
Dew distorting lenses settle in eye sockets
Like globules of melted glass.
Gone are the memories of rabbit blood,
The sharp crunch of bone,
The sweet taste of marrow on the tongue.
Months within the Mother’s womb
Of warm earth, maggots, wood lice
And the gentle transforming mercury of slugs,
Have done their work.
I am awake now,
Hearing the call of the white ghost, the soul leader,
From the bosom of the May tree.
I follow her silent wings across the silver grass.
I will howl at the plump bellied moon
And live again in the tricksy night dreams of men.
Elen Sentier [2003]
LITTLE MOON GAZING HARE
They see me as the omen bearer
As I dance and prance around
But I will always stand still to look
At this old friend I have found
I am the Hare that gazes skyward
Dancing through the moon-beams
To the Moon, our ancient ancestor
Whose wisdom is in our dreams
Her thoughts command the waters
From where our enemies came
She blackened to help the true
And the lands were ours again
The ripening corn leans into your light
Best cut when the stems are long
The stream reflects your beauty to all
The wolf sings his haunting song
I stop in time for a fleeting moment
As I look up to her beautiful face
A wish, a prayer, a hope, a dream
To be blessed by her wonderful grace
So to the Goddess I bow my head
With reverence, love and awe
My silent Goddess, strong as the rocks
Queen of the skies evermore
Ceinach
MURMURATION
Synchronised flying
wingtip to wingtip,
aerobatic acrobatics
avian dancers
mounting skyward
from gathering wires
merging into one body
a unique mind
a single soul.
Twisting
torqueing folding back
upon the flock,
aerial origami
a swarming dance
to a sudden halt
turning on a wingtip
the sweeping ballet
spinning dizzily aside en-mass.
All the while
executing manoeuvres
manifested delicate balances
spinning to angle over
self to self
expanding, contracting, expanding
narrow, wider, narrow
repeated time and again
each pattern unique
never to be seen again,
ephemeral and quickly vanishing.
A flying school of sky fish
in a body, as a body
over and over
beating the air
like breathing
moving as breath before the clouds
united to another sudden pulling
one fluid motion
easy effortless shifting
no friction
left to right
up and down diagonals
right then left again
swift away
soaring unceasing until
the moment
the trial drop –
a pause flowing into immediate
response once more
sweeping skyward
swooping groundward
before the final roosting
again into the swirling turmoil
chaos ordered into motion
then in an eye’s blinking time
the one decides
one chooses
an individual mind
moves the wing-weary mass
down
as the sky deepens into
darkness and the falling.
Merchywen (Aurora J Stone) [2013]
THE BRIMSTONE FOX
In the heart of the deepest shadows
At the edge of the light
In the sleeping summer garden
Right at the edge of sight
The caress of fronded fingers
Whisper soft as he slips through
So close to the walls of that little whitewashed home
To that spill of amber light
To that welcoming invite
To the souls therein oblivious
To the wild heart padding past their door
The brimstone fox will be waiting
At the edge of the light
The brimstone fox will come for you
One dark and velvet night
Friend, draw the curtains tightly
‘Gainst the vampire pull of dark
Draw your chair a little closer to the fire
When you hear the dog-fox bark
Wrap yourselves in fragile cheer
Companionship of those most dear
Lull the fear with wine and song
As outside moonlight glitters
On the glimpse of a silver tail
As the witching hour creeps closer and
A breeze strokes the ivy round the door
Come the moment when the light goes out
When your friends are gone
When you’re all alone
Come the moment when the darkling tales
Of elf and sprite
And spellbound fright
Reach questing fingers for the nursery door
The brimstone fox will be waiting
At the edge of light
The brimstone fox will be watching
Right at the edge of sight
The brimstone fox will come for you
Deep inside you always knew
That the brimstone fox would come for you
One dark and velvet night
The brimstone fox will steal your soul
Like a bright-eyed thief in the night
One dark and velvet night
Sarah Reed
THE EAGLE SLEEPS NO MORE
Across the western Ocean,
Upon a distant shore,
I hear its wings unfold and know,
The Eagle sleeps no more.
The castle gate has fallen,
With an awful roar,
I fear for my children now,
As the Eagle sleeps no more.
Once I heard the Eagle’s cry,
When evil knocked its door,
A storm of wings descended then,
And that evil was no more.
So now I pray for patience,
Because it chills me to the core,
That the calls for vengeance,
Might outweigh the rule of law.
For revenge exacts a terrible price,
One we’ve paid before,
But many yet may have to pay,
As the Eagle goes to war.
And in its fury, it shall not know,
The evil, from the poor,
And punish all within its view,
With its terrible, swift sword.
So all good folk of ancient way,
Whom this evil do abhor,
Pray for justice, and restraint,
Let the Eagle sleep some more.
Craig
WINTER KING
Small and round, soft and warm
Hopping around so happy
Pecking at the ground in search of a worm
I speak and you turn towards me
Beautiful round and perfectly formed
Softest shades of brown
Puffing your red chest feathers out proud
Warming yourself in winter sun
Bobbing about in the snow and ice
Leaving footsteps so perfectly small
I watch you with a smile on my face
My spirit shining, my heart filled with warmth.
Carry me high on your tiny wings
Show me the beauty of our world
Help me understand the smallest of things
So I can see the treasures Nature holds.
Vanessa Tong [2011]