Avian Supermodel
by Scott Shaffer

A rare Great Blue Heron promenades the little lake in back.
Way taller than most birds, she’s a remarkable creation of contrasts.

Wading shallows mostly for fish, she stalks her quarry
with a deliberate, gangly, still somehow-graceful gait.

Binoculars bring her closer: her bright yellow eyes are a mystery,
draw me in; yet her extensive, rusty bill tapers to a repelling thorn point.

Muted, grayish-blue feathers might seem drab; but she accessorizes
with a plumed black cap and white scarf for her neck–

curvy, long, S-shaped, and lovely; however, it can uncoil
with sudden fierceness and surprising length when snatching prey.

Though her stick-like, yellow-green legs look frail, they empower her
to pose–silent, still among the reeds; to crouch in striking posture;

to launch into glorious, photogenic flapping and flight with massive,
slow-beating wings; to soar the heavens with prehistoric squawks.

I’m fascinated by her magnetic personality!
Why does her strange, ungainly beauty beguile me?



 

Return to: