Thursday, September 6, 2012

Poetry Friday Time - Evening's Gift


       Always creative Katya is our host for Poetry Friday today.  Check out everyone's posts at her blog, Write.Sketch.Repeat.  Thanks for hosting, Katya.

Evening's Gift
I sat out tonight, savoring the cool air
and there, there
moving by my fence,
trotting, slowing, stopping,
right there at the cottonwood -
a fox.
Smaller than I’ve seen before.
I held my breath.
So close.


Maggie, the cattle dog next door
had to have smelled you;
she howled to her gate,
scrambled to get out.
I think that’s when you paused,
looked back.
I imagined your look of disdain.

Wild wary creature,
I think you looked my way.
But it might have been the walker
laughing on his phone,
So close to what I saw, except our park does have grass.
coming down the hill
that made your head turn.
I didn’t want you to jump my fence.
You have your path; I have mine.

I exhaled so quietly,
wishing only for more time
to watch.
But as that walker
moved on, so did you,
past my yard, around the corner,
up the hill.

I ran to the front,
out the door,
only glimpsing your
straight tail,
silvered in the moonlight,
tonight’s gift. 

                   -Linda




photo credit: goingslo via photo pin cc

13 comments:

  1. Wow. Love how your poem captures this sighting -- surprise, wonder,awe. I always feel that encountering wildlife is a gift, too :).

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  2. Yes - Thank you for sharing this beautiful encounter, Linda! [One of my favorite poems I wrote came from a very similar experience.] Enjoy a bit of "fox medicine" for your day today. :0)

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    1. Oh, I like your wishes, Robyn. I think I'll need a bit of that medicine. Looks like a busy day!

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  3. There's something so magical in sightings like these. I still feel this way every time I get close to the heron that lives near the campus lake.
    My favorite line -- I imagined your look of disdain.
    I can see that so clearly! Thank you for sharing this.

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    1. Thank you Tricia. I haven't been able to be near water in a while, but I know what you mean about the herons & other water birds-magical.

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  4. You are such an artist with your words, Linda. Each of your poems is a symphony in visualization, and I love reading every single one!

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  5. Lovely, Linda. I especially like the closing image:
    >>straight tail,
    silvered in the moonlight, <<
    Thanks for sharing it with us.

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  6. I echo Jama's thoughts, Linda! I've never seen a fox, and if I ever see one, I don't think I would even find the words to describe such an encounter. But you - you so beautifully captured the moment. I loved the line "I exhaled quietly / wishing only for more / time / to watch." Thank you for sharing! :)

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  7. I got shivers as I read your encounter, Linda!

    I smiled at this bit:
    "I didn’t want you to jump my fence.
    You have your path; I have mine."

    I feel the same way. Love to watch critters, but would hate to be cornered in my own yard with one.

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  8. Thank you everyone for the comments. I had a family emergency so was unable to make many comments today.

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  9. ....your
    straight tail,
    silvered in the moonlight,
    tonight’s gift.

    Just lovely! What an extraordinary sight to have enjoyed and then captured in a a poem. I hope all is well, Linda - I'm thinking of you.

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  10. Like Tara, I was especially taken by the last four lines... there's the morbid fascination intermingled with fear, I love how those conflicting emotions were beautifully captured. Great photo too!

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