Photo Source: eBird.com
Surprise! I managed to write a Birdtober poem every day this week. I'll add links to them later in this post.
Today's prompt is a Secretarybird. These amazing birds, over four feet tall and found on the coat of arms of South Africa and the emblem of Sudan, are endangered now, due to habitat loss. To the people who live near them, they represent intelligence and protection. (You can read more about them in my poem and this Wikipedia article is an interesting place to go next.) The Terror Birds mentioned in the poem are already extinct, and I hope the Secretarybirds won't be next.
Stomping
Striking
Killing snakes
a Secretarybird
Hunter
Doing
What it takes
that Secretarybird
Terror bird
Would hunt
the same
as Secretarybird
Quill-like
Feathers;
Hence its name:
the Secretarybird
Roosting
In A-
cacia trees
two Secretarybirds
Croaking
with their
families:
Secretarybirds
©Ruth Bowen Hersey
Here are the poems from the rest of the week:
10 comments:
Birdtober is really celebrating the diversity of birds! Love it! I had to look up Terror birds --they didn't really have good PR people, did they? "Lovebirds" have better PR, for sure. I've been bitten by a lovebird...It hurt, but I'll bet it would have felt worse if she had been a "terror bird," haha.
I never heard of such a bird and I love the repetition in the last lines of each stanza. It was fun to read about Secretarybird!
Ruth, what a fun writing challenge! I especially like the rhythm of the second stanza-- to me, it works with the words so well. Thank you for sharing!
Oh, do I love seeing your poems again. This bird is new to me...what a great name! And, what a great form that mimics birdlike movements. I hope these birds survive.
What a cool bird and wonderful poem, I love it!!! I like the repetition in your poem also. I had to go look and listen to them at ebird–they are amazing. Yes they do croak and I like your rhyme at the end. Wish I could join you, alas too much prep for my new Color Theory Class I'm teaching. Have fun, hope to peek in on more of your birds too, thanks Ruth!
I really like how you used the end of each stanza as refrain. Felt very powerful - fitting the content so well!
Hi, Ruth! I did learn a lot, but I find it funny that it's named that because its feathers are "quill-like". Uh, aren't all feathers quill-like in that all quills are feathers? And why hasn't quill been a Wordle word yet? Your form in this one is excellent--skinny little rhythm like those legs, loooong tail!
Yay for you for all your Birdtober writing! And yay for us, the happy recipients. I was fascinated by the Secretarybird and appreciate the introduction. Happy writing!
Excellent point, Heidi. By this logic, all birds should be called secretary birds.
You're on a roll! I had never heard of a secretary bird and went to look up Terror bird. Yikes. :) Doing what it takes!
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