A QUAIL
MEDITATION
Most evenings
as the sun descends
The sky
becomes a flame
As if trying
to wave goodbye to the day
I always
feel a tinge of sadness
As I witness
the passing of time
When night
gradually suffuses the light –
A tiny death
preparing me for inevitable endings
Most
evenings before the sun descends
I watch a parade
of noisy quail march behind my house
Their pretty
colors barely visible in greyness of earth
They seek
their simple goal of slumber in safe shelter
Unaware of
their beauty, or the gift they bestow
On the
watcher who forgets about death or sorrow
Or the
greyness that envelopes earth
Time becomes
that moment when the quail seek to sleep
While the
watcher awakens
This is the third piece today, which reminds me how important it is to cherish the seemingly small things. As the poem suggests, death and sorrow seem to be claiming too much of the world. The only way for us to survive, even thrive, is to continue to notice the good things we still have... to keep celebrating those gifts.
ReplyDeleteI so enjoy watching quail in my neighborhood as they meander thru my yard on their evening walks .... I wonder where they hide during our winters? I enjoyed this .....
ReplyDeleteThis, like so many of your poems, is very beautiful and speaks loudly to me. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen quail since I was a child on the farm. I wonder where they hide out now, since all the fencerows are gone.
ReplyDeleteVery beautiful. I love the California (Valley) quail.
ReplyDeleteYou have captured that tinge of universal sadness at sunset...beautiful poem.
ReplyDeleteBeautifully meditative.
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me of my late wife being an avid birdwatcher ( with me in tow) and the delight in finding quails in the wild and as we sitting down cared not that we were close to them as they searched for food.
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful to see a family of quail at eventide.....so sweet! Lovely how they live their lives blissfully unaware of what a mess humans have made of the world. I hope they have sweet dreams.
ReplyDeleteThe reversal of roles for cawing quail and watchers is quite interesting
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping by my blog Myrna
Much🖤love
What a procession. You transported me there. I feel sad when the day ends too.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed this one...
ReplyDeleteHere's hoping these inevitable endings would be just like slumber for us. Not messy, nor chaotic. Beautiful words. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteMay the quails escape the watchful eyes of those who would do them harm.
ReplyDeletebeautiful. I feel very peaceful at dusk.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! Wishing you a Healthy and Happy New Year!
ReplyDelete