Saturday, November 27, 2021

Speechless Before Starlings

They’ve just dropped 
In from out 
 
Of the heavens 
For the duration 
 
Of winter and are strung 
Out murmuring along 
 
The three telephone wires 
Opposite the house 
 
Like notes of a musical 
Score—no, something more like 
 
A long discrete succession 
Of commas taking 
 
Up every available space, 
Leaving no room—period— 
 
For words capable 
Of fulfilling 
 
That imminent,
Bewildering air. 
 
 
 

 

2 comments:

  1. Marvelous poem, soundwise, visually, contentwise, allwise! Wonderful images, first the musical notes and then the remarkable commas without words between them (so apt for starling shapes)! The title is semi-ironic: the poet certainly is not speechless (if one takes that to mean a person "reduced" to being silent), but, on the other hand, the poem is not a formal speech ("Ladies and Gentlemen, May I draw your attention to our feathered neighbors on yon wires...").

    BRAVO!

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  2. Howdy, brother bird watcher and thanks for the detailed comment re the above poem. First off, I'm happy you liked it enough to give me some feedback; as with a lot of what I write, I had ambivalent feelings about it; not so much anymore, seeing you think it's not for the birds!!! Hahaha. BTW, do you know a Mary Oliver poem called "Starlings in Winter"? If not, here's a link to it.

    https://www.best-poems.net/mary_oliver/starlings_in_winter.html

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