A Kingfisher Day

The first poem I had published in 1973

When the morning first is born
With darkness on the run.
Warmth and light then greet the morn'
And make the way for sun.

When night-time creatures take their bed
And daytime things appear;
That's the time, I've often said,
When heaven is most near.

To stand and view the coloured show
With flowers of each kind;
The vivid hues of petals glow,
They intoxicate your mind.

To walk amongst the dewy grass
Which sparkles in the light.
Their blades salute you as you pass
And chase away the night.

To look above and see the sky
As blue as blue can be.
To stand below and wonder why
The blue is all you see.

Except the sun invades the blue
And gilded splendour cast;
A vestige that the day is new
And yesterday is past.

This day is noble, like my bird,
A beauty to behold.
This day is special, take my word;
Vivid, sparkling, blue and gold

           

          
             

Reviews

[Chris Shaw]

Every now and then when we are on the river we see a kingfisher. Beautiful colours, blue and gold, the same vivid colours as a glorious sunny day when the sky is blue and clouds are absent. This poem written in 1973 would have been written by a much younger you and showed then that you had an excellent grasp of what was required. Some lovely imagery here Alan and the poem is nicely rhymed and flows well. All the best.

Chris

[Alan S Jeeves]

Thank you Chris. I was 22 when I wrote this poem for a competition. Of course it did not win but I did get it published in a magazine as a direct result of the entry.
Where I lived as a child there were not many people living nearby therefore, most of my friends had either hoofs or paws. I was aged 10 when we read Kipling's 'The Way Through the Woods' at school and I was hooked. The small school I attended could boast only about 30 pupils (29 on a Friday if it was a kingfisher day) and it was easy to interact with the teacher as the class was so small. I asked lots of questions about Kipling and his work and he (Kipling) has remained one of my favourite poets. Over the years I have shamelessly copied him.
I have written many collections of poetry themed on the countryside which I lived in and understood. A lot of these poems are optioned and I am not able to post them on the internet until the option has been taken up or expired. I will try to look through my portfolio and find one or two which are 'exhausted'.
Once posted on line, most editor's will not consider that piece for use in their journal therefore, one must take care when sharing.
Your review is a delight to read this Sunday morning with with a vista, from my study window, of the Yorkshire moors as far as the horizon.
Just for fun I will post a poem about the first time EVER I rode a horse. I hope it makes you smile, even if only a little!
Kind regards, Alan

[Alan S Jeeves]

In the tiny rural community where I was raised we had a special phrase for a day when the sun was gold and the sky a deep blue - we called it a kingfisher day, alike with the colours of the bird. Whenever I see a kingfisher it takes me back to the days of then.
Should we look back ?
I guess it's OK if we do not look back in anger.