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Owl ensconced on oaken branch,
A wingèd spirit rare,
His gaze is wisdom: calm, intent,
Bewitching and aware.
Soulful and implacable,
His feathered stillness bright
Is outlined by cerulean sky,
A beacon of the night.
Behind stark owl a full moon glows,
Casts vectored rays of light,
And yon in inky distance pierce
Sweet stars his friends in flight.
But tawny owl remains transfixed
Upon his earthly tree,
Before he soars in darkest realm,
Sage spirit flying free.
.
.
Corey Elizabeth Jackson is a retired teacher and community stage actress and singer living in Aurora, Ontario, Canada. She has had poems published in Blue Unicorn, Verse Afire and WestWard Quarterly.
Lovely! I really enjoyed reading this,
Corey. Beautiful imagery and cadence.
Thank you for your kind words!
Love this! You so beautifully captured the essence of the Owl, and with it a gentle reminder to us all to: “Think before we act.”
Yes, the owl can be so still that it radiates a field of peace and quiet introspection.
The only thing I’d take issue with is “Before he soars”.
Owls fly more like stealth bombers when they’re on the attack, and are quite flappy when flying otherwise.
Soaring, I think, is more a trait of the daytime raptors.
The more I think about it, the more I believe that there’s a grandeur implied in soaring that pretty strictly limits its use. I’m not sure that you can extend it beyond eagles and clouds and perhaps politicians, as in “His lies soared above all the rest.”.
When owls swoop in the darkness, with their talons forward and their wings slowing them down, helping them home in on their prey, that must be terrifying for any rodent in their path.
Lol, quite likely very true, not that the mendacious politician would agree!
Did you know, Joe, that the feathers in an owl’s wingtips are frayed, so that the owl’s decent is silent and thus gives no warning to its prey? It’s common knowledge that in places where owls abide it’s best not to keep white cats as pets, because white is the color that shows up best at night.
I like these distinctions on the different kinds of bird flight movements. You make very valid observations!
Very valid observation, and I love your elaboration on the vocabulary.
These comments certainly provide rich food for thought! Thank you so much for these provocative distinctions of the bird flight traits; attention to such details adds accuracy and depth to one’s poem.
Most enjoyable to read. I love all this Soaring and Swooping. My favourite is the Peregrine that definitely “Plummets” and there is nothing quite like witnessing a Gannet striking the water.
Jeff,
One of my favorites I think you’ll like:
The Eagle
He clasps the crag with crooked hands,
Close to the sun in lonely lands,
Ringed with the azure world, he stands.
The wrinkled sea beneath him crawls;
He watches from his mountain walls,
And like a thunderbolt he falls.
Tennyson
Thanks Joe for alerting me to this short poem. I love the comparison to a thunderbolt. They really are magnificent creatures. We are huge fans of the Puy du Fou park in France where they have a bird show that features huge American Bald Eagles swooping towards you and parting your hair. It is incredibly scary.
Wow, there is truly a wealth of description to explore for the avid birdwatcher/poet!
And you added admirably and poetically to that wealth of description.
What a pleasure to immerse myself in your poem, Corey! Your evocative language so clearly paints this night scene with the owl set against a full moon. Lovely!
Thank you, dear friend of the outdoors, your heartfelt words are so appreciated!
I happen to love owls and this beautifully crafted poem captures their essence. I particularly like; “Sage spirit flying free”… a perfect closing line.
Thank you . . . yes I feel there is a radial field of wisdom around the owl, unencumbered by earthly reality.