Two geese fly
over the lake
bringing spring
with each flap
of their wings.
poem- wild geese November 8, 2015
In half a V,
a line of five geese flies to the lake.
Moments later,
another half, line of eight
flies from the lake.
I’m waiting for the perfect V of twenty
or thirty birds, but times have changed
and half the flock
must choose to take the bus
these days, or perhaps, to walk.
poem- marmot love May 7, 2014
Along the road
the marmots sit on their haunches
beautiful fur coats
glistening shades of light and dark.
They sit, admiring the view,
enjoying the sun,
sharing chirping whistles while
watching the antics of the tourists:
Canada Geese in town
for a romantic vacation.
Two marmots crane their necks
to watch the blue heron
high-stepping in the marsh
and cuddle next to one another;
Marmot-ly loving
on their porch
watching the world go by.
.
.
.
Marmots are pudgy rodents, about 20″ long, and prone to curious investigation. They kind of look like beavers, but with a bushy squirrel tail. There is a colony living in the ditch along the TransCanada Hwy at Canoe, BC that I pass every day. They are very cute. If you disturb them, they whistle warnings to one another. They’re pests, because they dig, but they don’t seem to annoy anyone where they’re at right now (a few years), so hopefully they’ll be allowed to stay. They’re quite entertaining. Yesterday one rose up on his haunches to balance on his back legs like a pudgy little man as I drove by, and made me laugh out loud.
Here’s a nice photo of one: http://www.cascadesgallery.com/image.php?set=9&id=2
Shawn L. Bird 