12 May 2016

Bird Song




How effable are bird song translations?
In fables, birds can speak to fairy folk;
and Sigmund—after eating dragon heart—
could understand their dialogue in time
to save himself from lies and treachery.

I wonder if birds care enough to give
a birds-eye view of  what goes on below?
I’ve heard them scold when people near their nests
and leave bird feeders empty in the snow,
but not lectures on caring for our home.

Have they oral composition contests
for lyrical relevance and satire?
Could they be waiting for a breakthrough when
we can say “tree” in their language and tone,
our hands on bark, Helens ready to talk?

Say “Tree,” please, Tree for nesting infants, and
for fellowship with bees. Tree to launch
our children from on strengthened fledgling wings;
Trees to protect us when a predator flies by—
Say “Tree,” please, Trees take care of many lives.

Bird song’s ineffable but sweet, so we
don’t hesitate to resonate with bird’s
proximity.  We bell our cats and hope
that birds remain our backyard friends, while we
write poems about our own propinquity.


For Sumana's 

Poets United Midweek Motif ~ Birds

with assistance from Kerry Says ~ Let's Visit the Family.

The word of the day from Wordsmith was effable, an adjective meaning capable of being expressed. From Latin fari (to speak), it is ultimately from the Indo-European root bha- (to speak), which also gave us fable, fairy, fate, fame, blame, confess, and infant (literally, one unable to speak). 

My blog poems are rough drafts. 
Please respect my copyright.
© 2016 Susan L. Chast




14 comments:

  1. I wonder too if birds would ever want to share their birds' eye view. (Somehow I think they would be wise to keep quiet about what it is they see!) And yes we do hope birds stay in our yards...such delightful beings.

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  2. Trees and birds! My two faves. I LOVE this poem! I love "trees take care of many lives.

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  3. I have heard the birds scold as well, a robin built one outside my window and I often hear her scolding the other birds. Unfortunately, one egg was found on the ground and I felt her sadness.

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  4. a beautiful bird poem Susan, and how i wish i could say 'tree' in their language and tone and wait for the magic to happen...also love how 'effable' brilliantly works here as the key word...

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  5. lovely bird's eye view into the life of the feathered ones

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  6. Birdsong is so delightful. I enjoyed your musings here!

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  7. Beautiful poem....loved the thoughts here...trees and birds...I think they can tell us many things if we could just understand....

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  8. wishes that nature may fulfill..lovely poem Dr Susan

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  9. I love your "tree" stanza. I'd like to hear about life in the words of birds. Wise and insightful poem, Susan.

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  10. Beautiful poem, Susan!! ...Bird lovers would swear that birds do love humans. But, if need be....they'd probably bite the bad humans to shock them and make them flee!I sometimes wonder as I look at the birds,... do they actually have a conscious mind, are they capable of thinking? Wish, we could understand them..

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  11. I like your poem! They say crows learn who we are, and recognize us....whhen they run into us from time to time.

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  12. oh, so much to ponder on your poem. but i can vouch on the part about birds able to scold. once i had a crow circling over me and making a din. then i realized, i was near a tree that had its nest.

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  13. Liked this bird song video...it sounds really teasing for me, I feel the birds have some divine energy in them too alike us.... I've noticed your poems, Susan, become more and more satirical. I believe,in 'a birds-eye view' we're gigantic potential for love, and maybe they even looking at us as a huge trees not always in balance....

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    1. I'm surprised that you find this satirical! I feel more spiritually vulnerable. I will ponder this comment.

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