Sunday, November 20, 2016

We're here - where are you?


photo by Valerie, known as Alice

For the months of October and November, Gary and Jim have had one other person join them for each of the monthly walks.


acorns and beech leaves,
rushing water where
last month,
silent and dry,
moss on every surface,
water roar, hello -
the river turns, turns
and moves on.

gl

preserve companion

James McCarthy photo

Rustle of Dry Leaves

walking the path
down to the river


crash of pine branches
startled
a big bird flies off

turkey or spruce grouse
oh-wow-an owl
eyes black as coal

alights on pine

large and stocky
rounded head
no ear tufts
mottled brown wings
white breast
vertical brown bars

ah, then, a barred owl

swamp owl
hoot owl
eight hooter
wood owl
rain owl
le chat-huant du Nord
(hooting cat of the North)

sit down
watching
waiting

to see
what
comes next

owl stares back
as curious about me
as I am about it

head turns,
looks behind
slow turns back

holding the gaze
one minute,
two, three

time slows until
a whisper of feathers
owl flies off

ghost flight

into the woods

rustle of dry leaves
walking the path
down to the river


Jim McCarthy