Mother is the brown of polished chestnuts
with a beak as bright as her mate's.
Dutifully they collect food, wait
every morning for the feast of raisins
to carry to their brood
hidden in a garden tree.
Soon they will come to the lawn
with large-mouthed, speckled young
teach them to pull worms from grass
to recognise the footsteps
that promise raisins.
for my parents, who feed raisins to the blackbirds
Family for Sunday Scribblings
And it seems so uncomplicated. Yet, I suppose they have family politics just like us.
ReplyDeleteExcellent poem!
Delightful lines. I had to read this twice--it's sooo good!
ReplyDeletehow adorable.. and i am not sure who is getting more out of the bargain... the birds... or your parents!!!!
ReplyDeleteIt is so sweet. I could visualise it.
ReplyDeleteLove the word pictures here!
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Linda
SIMPLY SNICKERS – weekly poetry prompts
Not only a sweet poem but also a tribute to your parents. How clever!
ReplyDeleteIt's beautiful! Thanks for sharing a memory and a great picture.
ReplyDeleteWhat a delightful picture you paint here. I used the link and found myself listening to blackbird song! I'm so glad I dropped in.
ReplyDeleteThose birds are good trainers .. like rabbits!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful and very vividly described. I didn't need to force my imagination to see the scene. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteThis is heartwarming. The circle of life is present here, not only for the birds but for your parents too, as new birds come to the fold to be fed.
ReplyDeleteOh, I love this piece. It brings to mind a simplicity of life that we forget in our mad rush to obtain things and fight our way to the top of the pile. Wonderfully written, thank you!
ReplyDeletebeautiful and touching last stanza
ReplyDeleteWhat a luxury, huh? :)
ReplyDeleteFamily dynamics in animals are so moving to me. Too moving, I must say. When a baby has lost its mother or vice-versa it's mycue to start crying like a baby. ;)
I was sitting outside this morning in my new mountain home listening to a bird song. It was driving me crazy to not see it and then I thought, crafty would know that song. I swear!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your lovely poem and it's good to see you.
What a pretty poem.
ReplyDeleteThis was beautiful! We have cardinals that share everything just like a couple. We haven't thought to add raisins to the bird seed - we'll have to try that!
ReplyDeletesuch clarity, such simplicity, such a beautiful flow - i will listen for the wing breaths as they come for the raisins - danni
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful tribute to your parents! Well-written poem!!!
ReplyDeleteHow lovely to read! Birds are such a source of fascination. We can learn so much from them too. Well done!
ReplyDeletewww.mypoeticpath.wordpress.com
These are breathtaking images! Loved the description of the parent birds, the feast of raisins and the lessons to learn.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for sharing this with us. It brought tears to my eyes.
:O)
I am always so anxious when the babies come down from the nest. They spend so much time on the ground, an ideal target for an opportunist cat, although Mum and Dad do their best to keep an eye on them. x
ReplyDeleteI am imagining a crafty green poet tiptoeing toward a special sport where she places raisins. A beautiful, delicate poem.
ReplyDeletei can picture this scene and in fact, observe a lot of scenes like this myself (without the raisins, though!). perhaps i should add raisins? it is really nice that your parents can enjoy this, and, that your poem so fully captures both the life of your parents and the birds.
ReplyDelete