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:
Wow. Love how your poem captures this sighting -- surprise, wonder,awe. I always feel that encountering wildlife is a gift, too :).
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)
Thank you Jama. It was wonderful.
Oh, I like your wishes, Robyn. I think I'll need a bit of that medicine. Looks like a busy day!
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.
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.
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!
Lovely, Linda. I especially like the closing image:
>>straight tail,
silvered in the moonlight, <<
Thanks for sharing it with us.
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! :)
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.
Thank you everyone for the comments. I had a family emergency so was unable to make many comments today.
....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.
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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