This post was somehow removed from display when I transferred from my old platform.
I thought I might give you a couple of my poems from the turn of the millenium which may inspire you to appreciate a bird or some other bit of nature and help you in your worship of our great creator God.
The first one is about a close encounter with an often heard yet not easily seen small owl pearl spotted owlet Glaucidium perlatum, in Ghana, West Africa.
(May not be the correct species)
Owlet discovery
A long time pursuit
Of chasing some birds,
Occurred again today.
One’s seen before
Were all that we saw,
All that came our way.
A pleasant surprise
Greeted our eyes,
As we gazed at plumage
All brown.
An owl with four eyes
With a look of surprise
Turned our heads
To gaze at its frown.
Two big eyes on its nape
Which cannot see,
Surrounded with white
To scare enemies.
Two at the front
Not as bold as these
Looked acutely at us
As we scanned the trees.
After a while it flew
Unlike any owl, undulating,
With strength
For such a small fowl.
After work whilst in Tamale, in Ghana, I would ascend to the top of the four storey building where I lived, to unwind and look over the part of the street and town I lived in. This particular time I discovered these birds flying very close to where I was looking.
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Ode to Usshers Spinetailed Swift (Mottled spinetail – Telecanthura ussheri)
Sitting upon the flat-ted roof
I gaze around me at the ever blue,
Not pierced at all by shady white
Or colours of another hue.
A scything brown shape cuts across
This vast azure expanse
Burning a trail not visible to naked eye.
It glides and swerves from left to right.
Careering head long, boldly
In its dazzling flight.
The flash of white upon its
Rump shows clear and true.
I peer at it hard to make out
Another whitish view.
It rasps at me, with rythymic, pulsing,
Bursts, of rapid gunfire, screech.
And turns my head beyond
Its dizzying reach.
Two more attacking, wild, fighter, darts
Burst into sight
And add fresh courage
To their leaders brazen flight.