Poets have long called upon the topic of animals to focus their thoughts upon. Meaning is directed towards animals, turning them into symbols or caricatures and linking them directly to the confines of human culture.
Animals have their own unique identities, and these traits have always proven irresistible to poets. Poetry through its great variety of forms and its broad scope has willingly embraced the notion of animals to cross, blur, and reimagine these interconnected worlds.
Occasionally poets write individual poems concerning animals and sometimes animals fire imagination sufficiently for poets to create an entire anthology of verse related to animals.
An enduring favourite of mine since childhood is 'Five Eyes' by Walter de la Mare. I love how the reason for the title is revealed in the final line. The poet expertly captures the contest between the cats and the mice.
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With these observations foremost in my mind, I want to share some poems featuring various representatives of the animal kingdom. My search revealed that I have written about animals more than I had initially realized. The first poem is about the Black Kite, a bird of prey. I am sharing it for the first time. The other poems have been lifted from my published poetry anthologies. Animals could prove to be a productive focus for your own poetry output.
The Gathering of The Kites
Against a clear blue sky curtain
Of a Darwin day
Black Kites flock
Soaring effortlessly
On the breezes of the dry season
Twisting their forked tails
Dipping
Wheeling
Sky dancing
In a relentless search for food
Birds of prey
Fire makers
Spending another day on the wing
Alan j Wright
Previously Unpublished
Pigs Might Fly
Birds fly, so might I
Said the pig…
My word, said the bird
No drama, said the llama
Might take a while, said the crocodile
Up there? Asked the bear
Is that legal? Asked the eagle
Dream on, said the swan
Good luck, said the duck
Oh no, said the crow
You won’t get far, said the galah
Better me than you, said the emu
I’m heading for cover, said the plover
It’s hard not to laugh, said the giraffe
Can I come too? Asked the kangaroo
Alan j Wright
From the book, 'What The Poemster Found.'
Cat in the Window
Grandma’s cat
Sir Fluffickins
Sits on the windowsill
Beside the floral curtains
Like a statue ever still
He stares at people
On the street
Slowly passing by
And no one seems to notice
His ever watchful eye
So the cat sits by the
curtains
Curtains, faded by the sun
He stares
He purrs
And gazes out
Unseen by anyone.
Alan j Wright
From the book, 'What The Poemster Found.'
A Massive Murder of Crows
In search of a sandwich shop
I ambled past a giant tree
Deciduous
Its naked winter branches
Adorned with a massive
murder of crows
A raucous chorus of
calamitous cawing
Scraped the sky
Crow feathers all soot and
cinders
Like black leaves
Crows perched starkly in a
winter tree
Contrasting the grey curtain
of the sky
A massive murder of crows
And a sense of misgiving
Cawing
Cawing
Pathetic jagged notes rising
up
On a black day in July.
Alan j Wright
From 'What The Poemster Found.'
A Walrus Waited
And
amazingly I saw
A
lumpy, grumpy walrus
Lying
on the floor
The
walrus seemed to be asleep
He
snuffled, heaved and sighed
I
scratched my head in wonderment
Did
he want to take a ride?
Just
then the walrus raised his head
And
amazed me even more
He
spoke to me
His
deep low voice
Said
simply- Seventh floor!
Alan j Wright
From 'Searching For Hen's Teeth'
Thank you for sharing these great animal poems, Alan! I can't decide which is my favorite, but probably either "The Walrus Waited" or "Pigs Might Fly." And thanks, you gave me an idea for one of my own to explore.
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure Rosa. Glad my animal reflections have sparked an idea for a fellow poet.
DeleteUnexpected twists delight me, and that's exactly what you did with your poem, The Walrus Waited. Thank you for starting my morning off on a high note. :)
ReplyDeleteThe Walrus is certainly drawing attention. The origins of the poem are salubrious I'm afraid. The idea came about from encountering a man asleep in an elevator- the rest is history! Glad my words elevated your morning mood.
DeleteWhat great poems! Photos, too. You write with such humor and such knowledge of your subjects as well. Such a fun and inspiring post.
ReplyDeleteThank you Janice. I do readily embrace humour. In my time as a school administrator, I tried to convey to teachers and young learners alike, that there was room in every day for a dollop of humour. It often seeps into my poetry and for that I remain grateful. So glad you found something here that you are able to draw upon going forward.
DeleteYou cover such a range here! From the free wheeling delight of the kite (see what I did there? lol) to the dark gathering of crows to flying pigs, watching cats and elevatoring walruses. Wow! I marveled at your word choice "A raucous chorus of calamitous cawing/Scraped the sky" and chuckled at your wit. I'm especially partial to the animal commentary in "Pigs Might Fly." Great post!
ReplyDeleteThe animal kingdom is vast! Time is short. Ranging across moods, moments and styles is a rewarding pursuit. Thank you for highlighting this to me. Glad you enjoyed a chuckle...
DeleteYes, Five Eyes, a surprise, meant for reading aloud like your own "Pigs Might Fly", that clever rhyme gathering. I love crows, have written a few of my own about them & love your own surprise at the end of that one. Thanks, Alan, animals are fascinating.
ReplyDeleteThat sums it up in a nutshell Linda-animals are fascinating. Little wonder we are drawn in that direction. Thank you yet again for your considered comments.
DeleteWhat a great collection! The wannabe flying pig made me laugh, but I loved the massive murder of crows the best. What great description!
ReplyDeleteThank you Mary Lee. Glad you had a laugh at the flying pig. The crow poem is a personal favourite of mine as it captured a rather rare moment. A small moment worth recording.
DeleteThank you for your thoughts on animal poems and all the fine examples. It makes me want to revisit my animal poems and think about the human characteristics I find in them--I think I will also be surprised how many are about animals. "Pigs Might Fly" made me laugh aloud with those delightful internal rhymes. Crows are so full of character. I like what you do with color too in "A Massive Murder of Crows." It made me think of A BIRD AS BLACK AS THE SUN, a collection of 80 poems by California poets all about crows!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind words Karin. it pleases me that readers enjoyed them enough to spark their own thoughts and earlier writing on the fascinating subject of animals. The book you mentioned sounds like my kind of anthology. Who would have thought crows could feature in such a distinctive way?
DeleteWhat a wonderful collection of animal poems Alan! Loved the walrus's response at the end… "seventh floor." Your "Massive Murder of Crows" reminds me of Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds," and you use the line so well. And with all these animal poems I can't help but think of a favorite poet of mine, Ogden Nash, thanks for all!
ReplyDeleteThank you Michelle. Glad you enjoy my menagerie. The crow poem does possess a little foreboding. When I saw so many of them in the tree that day, it was somewhat unsettling. Odgen Nash... well i have certainly read a lot of his verse, so if a little of his influence has seeped into my words, I can only be pleased.
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