Sunday, December 25, 2011

The Owl.





The darkened woodland beckons me
And the owl’s haunting cry
Has baby birds cowering
Against their Mom nearby.
There is friend and foe in every place
Each species knows too well
And even human beings
Can tell where dangers dwell.

But the woodlands hold no fear for me
My light drives away the dark
Night creatures scurry far away
I stay till I hear the lark
I love to quietly walk among
The creatures of that glade
And breathe in the silence of the night
Until the owl’s call is made.

That call comes soft like a warning
Yet he is the predator
Ready to pounce on his victim
Though the owl had warned him before
He swoops down fast with claws outstretched
To grip and tear his prey
No tears need be shed here
For this is Nature’s way.

And so I walk through dangers
Though the danger is not mine
For I’m a different species
My foes are another kind
They live around the houses
Where I work and eat and sleep
They envy all that’s not their own
And they steal to sell or keep.

Wyn Barratt
Dec 2011

4 comments:

Marja Verschoor-Meijers said...

The owl... where did you get that inspiration Wyn, you did a great job of using him in a poem...

Unknown said...

Owls and dark woodlands fascinate me! I didn't enjoy the stark contrast of having to go back to my city life!

Happy New Year Marja!

Nikki (Sarah) said...

we spotted an owl once near our house and we whooped and hollered as if he were an angel. Love the poem.

Unknown said...

I can understand your excitement.
Don't they have wonderful eyes?
Glad you enjoyed the poem.
Happy New Year!