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Natural Encounter Poetry

Today, I am thinking, 'natural encounters.'

Across the years I have had solitary encounters with snakes and dolphins, foxes and a platypus, among others. 

Such encounters tend to remain with us as vivid memories. One encounter in particular has glowed brightly in my mind across the years. It happened way back when I was only twelve years old while wandering beside the Sassafras Creek in my childhood home town, Monbulk. A very special one off 

Encounters with nature, or characters in human form, provide a rich territory for the writing of poetry. I urge you to put on your explorer boots and go in search of those encounter memories. I strongly suspect you will tap into a rich vein of poetic potential.









Brief Encounter With A Trout

 

My extended backyard

sloped down the valley

hills, creeks and forests

beckoning the young explorer

This space under the sky

a natural theme park for untamed wandering

For glorious expeditions

 

Aged twelve

I wandered into the forest

walking the meandering track

beside the Sassafras Creek.

A thin watery sinew through an ancient forest

Intent on checking out potential fishing spots.

The forest around me was briefly quiet,

allowing the soft voice of the creek,

this prime moving force in the forest

to be heard with clarity.

It flowed on, murmuring a soft flub-flub

as it cornered the bank.

The water surface ripples faintly visible

clear and cold.

 

Suddenly a mid–sized

Rainbow trout,

Colourful body spots 

Conspicuous flecks

Exploded through the surface

heaving its speckled

glimmering body upwards,

as if exiting a cannon.

before plunging down

 with a watery slap of bubbles and foam.

A flash, a flicker, a gravity defying leap,

The briefest of performances.

 

Surface quickly glossed over.

Natural order restored,

Creek and fish move on.

Calm is instantly restored.

 

wide-eyed with wonderment

I stand motionless

I was there in that moment

in the forest

when a fish frolicked.

I found myself in a front row seat

Witnessing a simple pleasure.

-An ephemeral flash of flecks 

Remembered forever.

Alan j Wright




It's poetry Friday and this week our host is Rose Capelli at Imagine The Possibilities. Rose has posted about the process of writing a Reverso poem. A most challlenging poetry form. 


 

Comments

  1. Alan, you captured the wonder of a single moment in time so well. I especially liked the way your poem builds to the climax, adding tension and anticipation. Thank you for sharing.

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  2. What a great catch of a moment! When we are kids we don't know how possible this is until we've experienced it a few times...those early moments of wow are SO wonderful. This is a great "fish story" in poetry. I'd love to see two more poems for a series of 2 truths and a lie ;)

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    1. I agree, Linda. Those brief moments, those encounters often deliver a a wow factor that endures in our conscious memory. I have always enjoyed 2 truths and a lie. It is an appealing part of story telling. The fine line between truth and fiction plays out so well.

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  3. I know that flub flub and flash of flecks...gorgeous!

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    1. So glad you liked the alliterative injection, Irene. We don't just read poetry, do we?

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  4. Alan, what wonder-filled moment you captured. This line is special with its alliteration and image you created with words.- "An ephemeral flash of flecks." I found myself spending time this week trying to create boketto poetry like you shared in one of your blog posts. I hope you have time to read what I wrote and give me advice.

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    1. Thanks, Carol. So glad you liked my poem. I shall move on over to your blog to read your Boketto.

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  5. What an impression that trout made on you and now so many others! I love the way that you notice every nuance of the experience.

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    1. You are correct, Tracey. That trout 'caught' me. It is often surprising how much of that moment in time is retained when we revisit it. Memorable moments are like that. My 12 year old self was blown away by that moment-still am!

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  6. I often think of things like that moment as a kind of blessing, showing the spirit of something you may not have imagined before, a poet's beginning? It's a lovely story-poem, Alan. I love that slow movement into your telling, "briefly quiet,/allowing the soft voice of the creek," and on. You took us there!

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    1. They are as you say, Linda, blessings. I am so glad you felt included by my words.

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  7. Agreeing with Linda - a blessing! So great to capture the memory of this childhood encounter from the perspective of adulthood. I was lucky to live near woods from about age 8 to 12 and ran wild in them, befriending any animal that crossed my path. Except the alligators at the edge of the lake - I was afraid of those. Today I almost stepped on a black snake in our back yard and laughed as it sideways-slithered under the deck, imagining it thinking, "Watch where you're going!" Thanks for sharing.

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    1. Thanks Robyn. It sounds like you had a similar childhood to me. We were most fortunate. No alligators where I grew up...

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  8. What a memory! You have inspired me to dig into my memories for a favorite encounter that might find its way into a poem!

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    1. I have no doubt you will find treasure, Mary Lee. I await your revelations with anticipation.

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  9. So many amazing word choices in this poem. My favorite: flub-flub. :) What a gem.

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    1. Thanks, Marcie. Word choice is so interwoven into our making of poetrry. Glad you liked the watery choices I made.

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  10. Alan, I like your challenge to pay attention to these encounters. You have taken all the rich details of this flying frolicking fish all the way from your youth. Beautiful.

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    1. Love your alliterative words, Denise. Paying attention is our life source as writers & poets, so I must practice what I preach. Thank you for your generous response.

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  11. Yes for those moments. Even non-solitary ones stay with me! From several too-close-for-comfort alligator encounters in my childhood, and swimming with dolphins (being engulfed in a pod, actually) in the wild encounter at the beach (also in childhood), to the red fox up north 20 years ago, to the coyote stalking along the edge of a huge open picnic space at a local park just a few years ago. The presence of wildness--the briefest of performances--it sticks with you. I love the way you zoomed back in time and expanded this short moment into a movie in words.

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    1. Laura, in your response there is so much rich personal experience to unpack and you're spot on with your comment-'The presence of wildness--the briefest of performances--it sticks with you.' I'm so glad you enjoyed the visual elements of my story/poem.

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  12. Aww...Alan, I have a PB manuscript I titled PARTY AT THE POND that was inspired by my own encounter with a few of nature's friendlies. Love that you caught "fish frolicking" - which makes me smile, just to say it.

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    1. Thanks Patricia. You no doubt identify strongly with these natural encounters. Glad you enjoyed my trout times.

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  13. Thank you for this poem Alan. I love that you painted the scene then suprised us with the 'ephemeral flash of flecks ". What a wonderful phrase.

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    1. Thank you, Sally. Glad you enjoyed the retelling of my trrout encounter. It pleases me also that you noted the ending, as endings are critical to our poetic efforts.

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