Female Mallard

Brown feathers glow
subtle beauty in low
winter light.

Plump on the pond
she ruffles her feathers to display
sudden blue iridescence.

Fluff, shake, tuck
blue under wing –
just another brown duck.


Previously published on Nature Writing and in my poetry pamphlet Unthinkable Skies.  

Photo by Crafty Green Boyfriend.

I also today posted a poem on my Shapeshifting Green blog. You can read it here.