Phoebe

a free verse poem with nostalgia, thank you to all you poets who inspired me this morning

I let Baxter, my white rambunctious terrier,

out the patio door,

reminding him to be quiet,

as he welcomed the morning.

Above his barking, I heard

a bird adding its welcome to the morning.

“Phoebe, Phoebe” it said,

calling out its name.

 

It took me back to an afternoon

in Boise, Idaho, in my garage,

door open as I sat on a lawn chair,

waiting for the school bus of my

granddaughter, who was still a little girl.

And I heard a bird welcoming her return.

“Phoebe, Phoebe,” it said,

calling out its name.

 

It took me to yet another time,

waking up in a small cabin

at Camp Nomacca in the beautiful

tree-filled state of Maine, when our

son was a young child, throwing rocks

with other children in a pond,

and our daughter just a baby.

In the quiet of the morning,

I heard a bird welcoming a new day.

“Phoebe, Phoebe,” it said,

calling out its name.

 

The years have flown by

since those welcomings.

Children have grown.

Some people have departed.

Some people have entered.

Life changes, but still

a bird welcomes life.

“Phoebe, Phoebe,” it says,

calling out its name.

 

 

Reviews

[Bhuyanshi Talukdar]

Your poem is a poignant and nostalgic reflection on the passage of time and the enduring power of nature to inspire and comfort us. The use of the bird's call as a recurring motif creates a sense of continuity and connection between the different moments and memories in the poem, and the imagery of the changing seasons and the children growing up adds a sense of bittersweet nostalgia. You have a gift for capturing the essence of life's fleeting moments in your writing. Keep up the great work!

[Shelley Warner]

Thank you for such a beautiful review that describes perfectly what I was trying to do in this poem.

[Melinda McQueen]

A lovely tale oh so true.
Time marches on.
But memories--they stay.

[Shelley Warner]

Thank you Melinda, I didn't see your review until this morning. Yes, time marches on but memories stay.

[red93]

Really fine Work Shelley, and great to see a side of the States that never makes the Media in the UK. People living good and blameless lives and never doing any harm to anyone ✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️

[Shelley Warner]

Oh thank you Red 93. I really appreciate the feedback. Yes, I'm sure the world hears a lot of bad news coming out of the U.S. BTW, happy coronation day there in the UK.

[red93]

Many thanks Shelley. Yes the Coronation has gone splendidly I am glad to say. Dare I say, pageantry is something that we really excel at in the UK. Thanks again ✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️

[Shelley Warner]

I did watch some of the pageantry. You''re right, the UK excels at it. The carriage, the crown...

[FGFRANKLIN]

I do love to watch the birds and listen to their songs. This was a lovely nature walk with a very particular subject. I enjoyed.

[Shelley Warner]

Thank you FG, I appreciate the feedback. May the birds sing for you today.

[Coyote Poetry]

A wonderful poem shared dear Shelley. When I was young. Grandparent took me everywhere. Now I am the grandfather who takes the grandchildren everywhere. We are just adding to our memories. I loved the complete poem and thank you for sharing the outstanding poetry.
Coyote

[Shelley Warner]

Thank you Coyote, I appreciate the feedback

[Coyote Poetry]

You are welcome dear Shelley.

[Cyprian Van Dyke]

I like the feeling of sinking deeper and deeper into time. There are layers to time, aren't there? It's not just the past, it's history, and there are layers. I also like the use of a bird. I don't think people use birds enough in poetry. But I'm guilty of that myself. Wonderful poem. tyfs

[Shelley Warner]

Thank you, I like what you said about layers. I have written other poems about birds and about grief.

[W. Barrett Munn]

Hello, Shelley,

I like the repetition in this piece and I think it really holds the whole thing together. There is a natural sound in the diction and syntax that feels to me casual, like reading a personal entry in a journal, a conservational tone to it, you might say. which is what Mary Oliver wrote may have been a cause of the change from formal poems to free.

Winston

[Shelley Warner]

Thank you Winston, I liked that you noticed the repetition. I sat down to write the poem and out came the repetition. I felt good about it

[jacob erin-cilberto]

the birds I remember most, hearing in the mornings. Up in Vermont...the Bob Whites....they said their name succinctly.

[Shelley Warner]

I've never heard a Bob White, but I've heard loons in Maine.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

they actually just sound like they are saying "bob white"---with the emphasis on the white.

[Shelley Warner]

That's pretty cool.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

this is a sweet poem....and somehow all of these birds shared in this perfect nostalgic memory...or memories.
Each memory different, each bird different...but the name remains the same.

j.

[Shelley Warner]

Thank you Jacob. May birds bless your day.

[Chris Shaw]

Your bird of the morning with its calling brought you some delightful memories Shelley, which you shared with us. A lovely poem. I love birdsong so much. It always lifts my spirits and makes my mind wander too, to past, present and future. Thank you my friend.

Chris

[Shelley Warner]

Thank you Chris. I like bird songs too. I've listened to Chickadees in the mountains of Colorado.