By Joan Kantor
Sarasota Branch, Florida
Mornings elude me.
I don’t come alive till noon,
but today,
rising at 6AM,
I headed to the marsh for a glimpse of
dawn’s most colorful creatures feeding
against a background of burgeoning light.
In the pink tinged mist
birds had gathered by the hundreds,
a white pelican
separated from its flock,
pairs of cackling sand hill cranes,
lithe ibis, egrets, herons,
black neck stilts robotically walking,
then gracefully taking flight,
skimmers swooping down
to swiftly glide above the surface
their open beaks scooping water,
leaving liquid trails behind.
The view was a visual hum,
a statement of beauty
and peaceful coexistence
so close to home,
and the coral-winged Roseate Spoonbills
I’d come to see
turned out to be
the exclamation points.
This is a wonderful poem Joan. I love the easy flow from line to line and the imagery – a wonderful moment to share!
What a vision of beauty! A perfect word-portrait of vibrant bird life.
what a comforting poem. so full of nature’s quietness.
What beautiful imagery Joan. I feel as if I’m there in the marsh with you and all the birds.
Beautiful!
I just spent a week in respite by a mountain pond that had dragonflies jetting and darting in the sunshine hours. I hope my words will be sent out like this ‘Punctuated’ poem.
Lovely and touching work, Joan. Thank you!
Beautifully descriptive poem. I felt as though I was at the marsh with you.
I moved from Sarasota recently but you made me picture being there again