Beth Camp Historical Fiction

Monday, October 14, 2019

OctPoWriMo #14: Bowerbird

In the spring, the bowerbird gathers leaves and flowers.
We suppose, being male, he doesn’t have a nest in mind.
He brings a certain rock or mushroom in his beak,
found or stolen from another bowerbird nearby,
and lays in pattern all those elements of art --
color, texture, line -- to entice her eye.

And once she comes, he sings and
dances while she watches.
She may return.
They may mate.
Then she moves on alone to
build a nest, the bower abandoned
in the forest or the field, a singular work:
he tidies up; he preens for the next female.

We marvel at these elaborate patterns here,
for what if the artful bower just does not appeal?
What if she doesn’t come, drawn by some strange mix
of biologic chemistry and art, made by birdy eye and birdy beak?
Even in the deepest forest, art is created, unknown to human eye.
We make our nests, and sing and dance,
And believe all is left to chance.


Satin Bowerbird

Tomorrow's prompt: Mother May I?

You can visit OctPoWriMo at http://www.octpowrimo.com/ to read what others have written. Thank you, Morgan Dragonwillow, Michelle Vecchitto, Esther Jones, and Maria L. Berg for hosting this month-long poetry challenge.

6 comments:

  1. Ah, truly a lovely poem interwoven with the mystical. Bower birds are a joy to learn about.

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    1. Thank you for stopping by AND for writing poetry this month!

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  2. I love the tie of nature to human art. Beautiful!

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    1. The patterns of nature teach us much, inspire us, and, at times, bring understanding. Thank you, Odhran.

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  3. Beautifully done Beth.
    Making connections for us.

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    1. Thank you for reading and commenting. I have enjoyed reading your poems as well.

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