tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26800186.post1740368758349058469..comments2024-03-25T10:07:31.278-07:00Comments on There is no such thing as a God-forsaken town: Poetry Friday: Birds and James BondRuthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463332371535167975noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26800186.post-49126950690047115972018-08-24T15:24:41.138-07:002018-08-24T15:24:41.138-07:00Edward Gorey was fabulous. He left his mark on WBU...Edward Gorey was fabulous. He left his mark on WBUR in Boston.Brenda at FriendlyFairyTaleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13368709489341876324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26800186.post-18002028171584292972018-08-19T05:51:03.223-07:002018-08-19T05:51:03.223-07:00I find your poem to be INconcise in a most charmin...I find your poem to be INconcise in a most charming, informative and insightful way. This is a how-I'm-learning-it poem like the one you wrote about my radish photo, and that's a way of writing that seems to suit you very, very well!Heidi Mordhorsthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16496427007514895950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26800186.post-34042450985061455422018-08-18T16:45:37.275-07:002018-08-18T16:45:37.275-07:00There is so much to love about your poem. I learne...There is so much to love about your poem. I learned a lot--about the bananquit and the real life James Bond, some literary trivia, but most of all, I love the connections you draw between these things to remind us to pay attention. That seems to be a message I'm seeing everywhere these days. Kayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08210045352610490115noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26800186.post-67927969734059474832018-08-18T02:16:35.180-07:002018-08-18T02:16:35.180-07:00I love the bird's name, bananaquit, but also t...I love the bird's name, bananaquit, but also the list of other names in your poem. We poets can get lost in the rabbit hole of research and emerge with concise poetry, like yours, that embraces and honors our world. Margaret Simonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04434866104385187658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26800186.post-90481330063297796382018-08-17T18:54:19.993-07:002018-08-17T18:54:19.993-07:00Ruth, I loved your poem! Not only was it beautiful...Ruth, I loved your poem! Not only was it beautiful, but I also learned a lot from it. I love the Bond connectionand how you tied the spy thread into the poem's narrative. Excellent!Rebecca Herzoghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14384549967693583445noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26800186.post-1285859907576925442018-08-17T14:54:37.403-07:002018-08-17T14:54:37.403-07:00I love the poem and the photo. What a name this s...I love the poem and the photo. What a name this sweet bird has. Thank you.Jonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04299647754479967070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26800186.post-27597675240296098682018-08-17T05:36:21.802-07:002018-08-17T05:36:21.802-07:00I love that not only do you share insight into the...I love that not only do you share insight into the bird, but you play with the "James Bond" names and tie them into it!Matt Forrest Esenwinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04230063389130167424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26800186.post-39422748508196606542018-08-17T05:32:36.676-07:002018-08-17T05:32:36.676-07:00Ruth, hi! So good to meet you this week. And the...Ruth, hi! So good to meet you this week. And the title you've given your online home is heart-warming indeed.<br /><br />Bless you ...Linda Stollhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02170871743323855687noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26800186.post-1914140061242380732018-08-17T04:57:05.898-07:002018-08-17T04:57:05.898-07:00The hardest birds for me are the little brown ones...The hardest birds for me are the little brown ones. The ones with distinctive color seem fewer in number around me. I've learned to look at things like size, patterns of markings, especially around the eye and location as clues to what they are. The robin red breast makes it easy with his tendency to be on lawns, sporting his red belly, calmly looking my way, knowing he is far quicker than me.<br /><br />I enjoyed learning about James Bond the flamboyant birder, namesake to an even more flamboyant spy.Brenda at FriendlyFairyTaleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13368709489341876324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26800186.post-69724076490853683092018-08-17T04:50:17.049-07:002018-08-17T04:50:17.049-07:00Your lovely poem taught me about a bird I had neve...Your lovely poem taught me about a bird I had never heard of before. Thank you for sharing.Kimberly Hutmacherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17481478199892532599noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26800186.post-23468060899810972072018-08-17T02:50:58.363-07:002018-08-17T02:50:58.363-07:00Well, you learn something new every Poetry Friday!...Well, you learn something new every Poetry Friday! Loved learning the connection to James Bond, and also about the little bird. Thanks Ruth!Sally Murphyhttp://www.sallymurphy.com.aunoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26800186.post-36401478095025366802018-08-16T20:16:06.307-07:002018-08-16T20:16:06.307-07:00Fascinating post Ruth. Your poem has woven a lovel...Fascinating post Ruth. Your poem has woven a lovely image all about the Bananaquit. I really like your 4th stanza suggesting that<br />"A spy ought to blend in,<br />it seems to me,<br />not stand out with his martinis <br />and his flashy cars."<br /><br />I love birds and history–your links were wonderful, especially the last one with the gorgeous image of the Bananaquit. I'm a supporter of Audubon, but I didn't know her was from Haiti. Thanks for the poem and sharing about all the connections!Michelle Koganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02575814872372518994noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26800186.post-26434019351725813662018-08-16T18:49:51.861-07:002018-08-16T18:49:51.861-07:00I love the story around this bananaquit, and what ...I love the story around this bananaquit, and what a good one it is, and your poem's voice is wonderful, Ruth. I have seen this bird, learned about it (but not James Bond) a long time ago when we spent time on St. Martin. They called in the 'sugar bird' there, but later I did look it up, learned the bananaquit name. I too struggle with identifying. Birds fly so swiftly by sometimes!Linda Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14983144542632353870noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26800186.post-21839620964030217702018-08-16T18:32:45.069-07:002018-08-16T18:32:45.069-07:00Divine - like a babbling stream. Delightful and de...Divine - like a babbling stream. Delightful and delicious.JACKIE HOSKINGhttps://jackiehoskingblog.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26800186.post-31872801825599834082018-08-16T16:43:48.355-07:002018-08-16T16:43:48.355-07:00What a fascinating poem! I love my Claremont Field...What a fascinating poem! I love my Claremont Field Guide to the Birds of Australia! I'm a flicker - through the pages until I find one that seems to fit. (Though google also comes in handy, if you can note identifying features. Like I did recently with a spangled drongo, who I'm sure has not been here for the past 20+ years! I'm sure he's a newbie.) There's a lovely illustrators who I follow on insta who I'm sure could one day illustrate a bird book of her own. Such beautiful work! https://www.instagram.com/p/BlrnjqBhF3P/?taken-by=mhdesignillustration Kathryn Apelhttp://katswhiskers.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26800186.post-3465806858728073472018-08-16T15:02:45.378-07:002018-08-16T15:02:45.378-07:00Ha! What a great connection to James Bond. I love ...Ha! What a great connection to James Bond. I love it. The setting, the bird....it's all so rich. I hope you look for a place to see this poem in print. It's a delight.Linda Mitchellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00833034575304594924noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26800186.post-92179420743696707742018-08-16T14:58:52.140-07:002018-08-16T14:58:52.140-07:00What a wonderful, rich post! I learned so much fro...What a wonderful, rich post! I learned so much from your poem. The backstory about James Bond is fascinating and I love the image of the puttering gardening ornithologist compared to the urbane spy! Molly Hoganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16975100905434379155noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26800186.post-68526901249878865412018-08-16T13:35:41.390-07:002018-08-16T13:35:41.390-07:00Ruth -- I could not love your post more! And your ...Ruth -- I could not love your post more! And your poem is the perfect example of how poems are in fact teachers, to borrow from Amy Ludwig VanDerwater's brilliant book title. You've taught us not only about your beautiful bird, the bananaquit, but about the "real" James Bond! I think your bird is spying on you. Bravo! And to make you feel better, I'm terrible at identifying birds, too. One trick they taught us at Cornell was to look for several identifying marks and remember those for identifying later -- size, eye ring, patterns, etc... Thanks for taking up the challenge!Christie Wymanhttps://wonderingandwondering.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.com