Something Told the Wild Geese
by Rachel Field
Something told the wild geese
It was time to go.
Though the fields lay golden
Something whispered,—‘Snow.’
Leaves were green and stirring,
Berries, luster-glossed,
But beneath warm feathers
Something cautioned,—‘Frost.’
All the sagging orchards
Steamed with amber spice,
But each wild breast stiffened
At remembered ice.
Something told the wild geese
It was time to fly,—
Summer sun was on their wings,
Winter in their cry.
It's almost time for the migratory birds to start arriving here in Haiti! That mysterious "something" is getting ready to send them south!
If you'd like to contribute to earthquake relief in Haiti, I posted some suggestions here.
The inimitable Heidi has today's roundup.
14 comments:
Hooray! We have our lights off (hope everyone got the message!) here in Denver. They predict about 10,000 birds will fly over tonight, on their way to you, Ruth! Be sure to let us know when they arrive!
Love poems about wild geese. I always wonder, how DO they know it's the right time? They always do.
Eeek! My comment flew off into the internets....I was there. I saw it! I just wanted to say that I love the idea of wild geese and instint.
This is a favorite of mine. Thanks for sharing, and I'm continuing to send good thought your way, Ruth...
Something has been urging the monarchs south as well. I've donated once to Haiti and the women in Afghanistan, but I think I need to dig deeper and help more.
What a beautiful poem. Thank-you for sharing, Ruth. (Loved Linda B's comment, too. Wow. 10,000 birds.)
'Something' is always niggling at us, wild geese and all. We need to listen. Thanks for sharing this poem, Ruth. I look forward to more posts about the migratory birds arrival.
This poem with its refrain and gentle sense of mystery stirs the reader to reflect and consider more than migration Ruth. A good choice to share.
What a gorgeous poem Ruth, and I just mentioned to my husband I want to visit the Montrose bird sanctuary because it's time for migrating birds… Hope the "Summer sun" carries them safely, thanks!
This poem is lovely! Thank you for sharing it. I love how it brings the seasons together in one poem.
This is a favorite poem of mine and timed perfectly. I woke to 48˚F this morning and a definite autumnal feel in the air. I also saw a warbler making its way back through. Perhaps it will venture your way?
We had similar themes this week, Ruth. This poem is beautiful.
I'll check out your recommendations for relief for Haiti. It's hard to know the best ways to help from afar, so I appreciate your direction.
My gosh, that is a beautiful wonderful poem. I'd forgotten about Rachel Field--how do we let that happen?
"Something whispered,—‘Snow.’
Something cautioned,—‘Frost.’
and these lines!!!
"All the sagging orchards
Steamed with amber spice"--
Thanks for welcoming our birds!
Enjoy the winter with new birds! It seems a bit early still here in Bahrain, but soon we will have flamingos wintering with us.
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