Ode to Phoebe

sweet and demure... as pure as duckling down

Once upon a bough... I espied the loveliest bird 

with the most gentle smile with wee tiny tears 

in each eye... I knew I would place a gold band 

on her left leg to mark a day of discovery... 

the first for the shy and gentle beauty... an 

American Bird to be banded by John James Audubon

when he tied a string on the leg of an eastern Phoebe.... 

May the softest breast of feathers be blessed... always.  

 

Reviews

[Sami Khalil]

A great American naturalist honored along with the profession by a great poet and artist. I like the title and the message of the poem. Branding and banding the birds take time and patience, observation, love for nature and birds. Then the blessing at the end. Wow!

[Patricia Wedel]

dearest Sami... your review has Charm that warms my day... and I thank you ever so much. A breath of Spring is what we need. 🎻🎶🍀☂️👩‍🎨 truly, Pat

[Sami Khalil]

So true and well said. You are welcome...

[Coyote Poetry]

A beautiful photo and wonderful words shared dear Pat. Thank you for sharing the amazing poetry.
Coyote

[poetgurl (Plainly Meg)]

This is so wonderful, enjoyed this write, found it lovely

[Patricia Wedel]

dear Kimmie... I do love to include Birds in many of my poems. Thank you for reading. Bless you.
truly, Pat

[andrew mitchell]

Not familiar with this Naturalist however a lovely poem on nature, Pat. Written in pure poetry form as always.

[Patricia Wedel]

dear Andrew... so delightful to read your review.
It is fun to include birds in poetry. as they are so much a part of our every day life. They really appreciate the seed that is placed in Feeders for them. I can just imagine their Joy. truly, Pat

[Dave Brown]

Audbon did so much for our bird population
he would appreciate your poetic remembrance
Our little feathered friends have made it through the worst of winter and are now being joined by the less hardy snowbirds coming up from the south
I even see a bit of nest building going on through the few early flowering trees and peeking leaf tips
All very enjoyable
Ain't life grand

[Patricia Wedel]

dearest Dave... thank you for your insightful scenarios of our lovely feathered friends. It is
read moredearest Dave... thank you for your insightful scenarios of our lovely feathered friends. It is
amazing how resourceful they can be. I wish I knew how to control the Ravens and Squirrels that takeover the seeds. The too are God's creatures. I even put out peanuts in shells to divert their attention... but first they eat oiled sunflower seeds and so forth until their bodies are full, and only then... do they gather the peanuts one at a time and fly and scamper to unknown destinations. Thanks for your warm review. truly, Pat

[Patricia Wedel]

It is remarkable how resourceful the birds can be. truly, Pat

[Lydia Shutter]

You have such a love of nature and every poem you write highlights that. The Audubon Society is a wonderful organization and they do band the birds so they can track them. Always a pleasure to read you, Pat. Lydi**

[Patricia Wedel]

dearest Lydi... always an honor to receive your review. Our environment is amazing to shelter our beautiful birds. May it ever be so. gently, Pat

[S.zaynab.kamoonpury]

Wow begins so creatively poetically delighting my bird lover heart so and then talks of an eastern bird the phoebe sounds very poetic too. The naturalist banded the bird for further observation and study and so your lovely last line amen. Kudos for such an adorable poem.

[Patricia Wedel]

dear Zaynab... sorry to be so long to thank you for your review. lovely to know you have a bird lover heart also. This young bird is adorable with it's fluffy feathers. I must catch up with your poetry. truly, Pat

[An owl on the moon]

What a tender, beautiful sigh of words... How I love birds... loving watching them in the gardens... love watching them fly overhead... they inspire the heart... inspire the freedom of our souls...

[Patricia Wedel]

dearest Owl... your review is a flutter of little wings that sing like drops of beauty.
We are blessed with their presence. Gently, Pat

[Chris Shaw]

Delightful opening Pat and your poetry often features our feathered friends, showing your true love of nature. You have such a knowledge on all the varieties of our avian creatures and I imagine you can name every single one that graces your garden. I see you, looking out of your window taking it all in. Your poems always uplift me. You give me wings too Pat.

Chris

[Patricia Wedel]

dearest Chris... there is a magazine entitled “Birds and Blooms. It is worth subscribing to have it delivered to your home every six weeks or so. It features lovely colored photos of Birds and in depth descriptions of their habits. That is my inspiration. Often I see some of them on my Deck where I sprinkle lots of Seed daily on the wide railing... they seem like family to
me. Thank you for your sweet endearing heart. Gently, Pat

[Chris Shaw]

Bless you Pat. Have a peaceful Sunday.

Chris

[Patricia Wedel]

Blessings to you Chris... we have so many trees that have blossomed in the last few days... it serves as Hope that the CoronaVirus can be controlled. Be safe and wash your hands and sanitize them wherever you go. truly, Pat

[Chris Shaw]

We are taking good heed of the warnings Pat. It has already arrived in our town. You are ahead of us with your tree blossom, but I am looking forward to our turn :))

[Fran Marie]

your love of nature
with all its delicate
and sweet offerings
shines through within
your poetry..your gentle
spirit takes flight with such
tender and caring thoughts
within each line ...

a lovely poem here

[Patricia Wedel]

dear Fran... birds are an inspiration and it is rewarding to witness how they survive and actually help us monitor climate change...
so I honor them whenever I can. Thanks for your kind review. truly, Pat

[barleygirl]

There's so much I love here. The title is startling & even more alluring when we find out where your poem goes. And the opening "once upon a bough" feels like a comfy cross between "once upon a time" and "when the bough breaks" . . . as if a fairytale & a nursery rhyme combined . . . all the gentleness that spills from your every line. You put us into the space of imagining the gentleness it would take to do this work, you raise awareness of how necessary it is to keep track of all our species, lest we lose some along the way, & we need to know what's working & what's not, in terms of helping the environment. All that, packed into such a simply-stated poem. That's the mark of a true deep thinker masquerading as a fluff of a bird watcher *wink! wink!* Fondly, Margie

[Patricia Wedel]

dear Margie... it is always “the best of times and the worst of times”. However, you seem to always make us smile and even laugh with Joy with your poetry and reviews. You are a Tonic for sure. Thanks for stopping by and your words “masquerading as a fluff of a bird watcher”... I am off on a Walk by the Rappahannock River while my husband Roger is enjoying the ambience of the beautiful Nurses setting up and monitoring the Dialysis patients who are having their blood cleaned and returned until returning in a day or so... three times a week. He is proud to love a Poet ... so I am blessed. truly, Pat x