The Science of Birds

[AlluraD]

Kept beyond the wave line,
breath-caught...
Pelicans and the science
of birds in flight,
instilled in four year olds.
Yet, inside where I breathe
it's only me-
aching to dive;
to drown the want
in icy thrashing waves,
to stem the tide,
to cool the heat
that roils and spills-
belly dark and deep.

Pounding surf
vibrates through the sand,
echoing bone-sung
rifts and rills
in and out of tune…
the lull and hum of days
when I was one
with every grain of sand,
with air and sea.
I never held myself
apart from life,
from all it held out,
shining in its hand.

But here they come again
with treasure rare,
feathers found that
fell to earth from flight,
broken shells and wave-kissed glass
tossed and tumbled,
offered back to land.
The olive sea shrugs off
her lacy dress-
with little ones in tow,
I head for home.

[e-piph[lol]]

melancholy lit by every angle, with light

[Fenris]

And the glass must always
be greenly opalescent.
Reminiscent of a small child
playing on the warm sands
of a happy holiday
spent a lifetime ago,
and never to be repeated.

[sgyds]

On sea of grass
Well lit knees of green past
I'm getting images
from angles.
Reflected outward.
Give back. It is easy.

[Meta]

I was thinking of this sea today... not the pelicans and their funny on land ways or the way they lift and skirt the sea with such grace... but I am so glad to now think of them and feel what you wrote - this is a wonderful write.

[hawked]

I can picture vividly what you've written.... I can almost feel the ocean's misty spray and taste the salt. Definitely conveys the place and the emotion.

If I could ask a question.... why did you choose the title? Being a birdbrained birder, I was drawn to the poem for obvious reasons - that and I have the tendency to take things literally (especially when the word science is used - not always a good habit!)

[AlluraD]

Thanks to each for reading this one.....I have posted it on seveal forums and everyone sees the visuals pretty clearly...but I seem to have been so vague with my own emotion that the whole idea behind this poem doesn't appear to come thru at all...I titled it the science of birds because I was on the beach with a group of young children, threes and fours...I was explaining to them how the birds fly, general info about the birds themselves.....then they ran off to play, to run up and down a sand dune and to collect treasures...I wanted to throw myself in the water....I wanted to not be restrained by my adulthood......by my responsibility to them...I just wanted to be me.......to just be period......lots of yearning and longing and remembering...but the moment is what it is and that was why I was there afterall......and I just liked the title~ *smiling*

[TRexroth]

this is an amazing poem,
i'm not even gonna try and say something profound,
it reminds me of when i read Moby Dick.
your poems are awesome and im glad that i've found your
work. it's always exiting to me to find a new great artist.

sincerly,
trexroth

[Michael]

I never held myself
apart from life,
from all it held out,
shining in its hand.

But here they come again
Allura, like piph, I was going to use the word “melancholy”. The operative word in this collection of words is “But”.

Then I read your explanation.
but the moment is what it is and that was why I was there afterall
I think that, as we get older, and I should know about that, we all grapple with daydreams of times gone by, even wishes that we could have done this or that better…if we only could do it over again, knowing what we know today.

As you point out, however, there is only one truth for everyone all the time and that truth is “now”. We are not allowed to possess any time other than “now”.

I think that your explanation clarified the poem and magnified its beauty.

As I read it, I think of a dance. I don’t know why…maybe the waves. I don’t know, it’s a wonderful piece.

[poem2poes]

I can't say anything. Michael said it all for me so beautifully. I just wanted you to know how much I enjoyed this.