Tag Archives: poetry

Blackbird

Beady-Eyed Blackbird

Haiku 14

I see you see me

Blackbird with your yellow beak

Give the Evil Eye!

Here is a well-known visitor to British gardens, strutting round my brother’s lawn in the UK last June.

I see you!

I was sitting in the lounge having a cuppa and doing a crossword, when I noticed this little chap. Continuing my unique bird capturing techniques, (see Pass By) I have taken the shot from way back inside the house and through a window.

It was only afterwards, when I enlarged the photo, that I noticed that I was also being watched!

Here Comes the Sun

Freesias

Golden freesias

Heralding Spring

Joyfully sing

Here Comes the Sun!

Short Back and Sides!

Silver Oak

Cloak

The massive Silver Oak

Adopts a temporary canopy

Of silver white clouds

To cover its nakedness

At the end of winter, gardens around the neighbourhood are a-buzz with chain saws, as trees are pruned. Every 5 years or so mine get a ‘Short back and sides’. Though they all look incredibly bald and even dead now, the 1st of September was the first day of Spring here in Cape Town.

In no time at all this tree will burst back into life with full force. Spring!

Reflection

Reflections

Haiku 13

Freezing winter rains

Mirror Syringa and sky

Dismal reflections

Mysteries of the Universe

Succulent 1

Funny how you can walk past an object day after day –

Succulent 2

Never noticing the infinitesimal changes –

Succulent 3

Being wrought before your very eyes –

Succulent 4

Until suddenly captured by its beauty.

Mysteries of the Universe

Funny how you can walk past an object day after day

Never noticing the infinitesimal changes

Being wrought before your very eyes

Until suddenly captured by its beauty.

Swan

Swans 1

Haiku 12

Milky white archways

Royally inscrutable

Not an ugly duck

Just a big chicken!

Swans 2

Do you think these swans know they belong to the Queen? They certainly look regal enough, swanning around.

My friend and I fed a large flock of swans (with special swan food!) on the River Thames. I’d never seen so many swans altogether before. It was a wonderful sight.

I can’t write a post about swans without leaving you with some of the most beautiful music you will ever hear: The Swan by Saint-Seans.

Winter Skies

Winter Skies 1

A collection of verse

One

Look straight up on a winter’s day

When sun shines bright and clears the way

See blue touched by a silver band

Yet painted by no artist’s hand

Winter Skies 2

Two

With wisps and tendrils lovingly

Jack Frost adorns the skies

And biting cold no longer numbs

You gaze with spellbound eyes

Winter Skies 3

Three

Wafting on the icy breeze

Drifting over tops of trees

Soaring to the stratosphere

Floating ice-clouds soon appear

Winter Skies 4

Four

When mystery and mists combine

In curlicues and columbine

Then all your heart could ever hope

Is drifting there beyond your scope

Sky Light

Sky Light

I never tire of looking skyward

When the winds of chance

Waft pretty clouds my way

Still Waters

Still waters run deep

Their secrets to keep

While this tiny brook trickling away was definitely not still or deep, it nevertheless brought about a feeling of calmness. Birds twittered in the trees all around and insects buzzed by lazily.

There is something mesmerizing about staring at running water; or flames in an open fire. Maybe it awakens something ancient and primordial in our brains, and connects us to nature once again.

I hope you find a few moments of stillness during your busy day, to breathe and be thankful; for anything.

post script: Try here for some info on the expression still waters run deep.

Groove to the Hoove

Little Monkey and hoof

Mr SL and hoof 2

Yesterday I posted some photos of my dogs eating hooves. Butterflysand wrote a little rhyming poem, and along with MidWesternPlantGirl, we challenged Ladysighs to sing it for us.

For some reason she did not want to publish a song about dogs and stinky hooves on her own blog! But you can hear her sing it below. (I hope – I am computer challenged!)