Edited by Eric Rounds and Bart White.
104 poems by 79 poets.
FootHills Publishing sent out a call for poems inspired by birds. Some 200 poets responded, sending close to 500 poems. The result is Birdsong: from word game to haiku, sonnet to prayer, poets respond to the sights and sounds of birds. Hummingbirds, mockingbirds, gannets, mallards, robins—all fly, nest, and sing their way through the collection. Red-winged blackbirds and crows flock. Hawks and owls hunt from forest and field to suburbia and New York City. The great blue heron evokes many varied responses. In Birdsong, experience a year of birds—from one spring to the next—as seen and heard through the eyes and ears of poets from across the country.
Table of Contents
Preface I
Preface II
Untitled M.J. Iuppa
The Praise of Birds Paula Schulz
Ornithology Dawn Paul
Redwings Roy Hartwell Bent
Notice Karla Huston
My Demoiselle Crane Alicia Hoffman
First Bird (Reprise) Mischelle Anthony
Best Laid Robin Plans Jim Jordan
Unhinged Heather H. Thomas
The Zen of Watching Warblers Kristen Lindquist
Limelight Laura Glenn
Birdsong Mimi Moriarty
Some One Kitty Jospé
Northern Mockingbird Mary Pinard
The Mockingbirds of Orlando Karen Middleton
Night Flight Jane Sadowsky
Cardinal Alicia Hoffman
Ten Ways of Looking at a Cardinal... Paula Schulz
Indigo Bunting Joan Colby
Grackle Joan Colby
Seeing Grackle John Berry
The Second Story Laura Glenn
Safety and Numbers Bruce Bennett
Ardea herodias Nancy Dafoe
Moving, Being Moved Sandra Fees
How Robins Bathe Jim Jordan
Public Bath Mary Pinard
Carp Held by an Osprey in Flight David Forman
The Seagull's Position Fran Isaac Gilmore
Origami Susan Richmond
God of Sea Ducks Kristen Lindquist
(A lone lean gull) Terri Klein
Gannets Susan Richmond
Seven Sisters Elizabeth Khan
Hargila Mary Hood
Nest of Eagles Steve Coffman
The Bee Hummingbird Karla Linn Merrifield
Accidental Birds Wallace Kaufman
Mulberries Ann E. Michael
Ring-Necked Woodpecker Barrett Warner
On Marriage After Divorce Elizabeth Johnston
The Blue Peacock Carmine Dandrea
On Finding a Dead Vulture Beside… Elizabeth Johnston
Hoot William Heyen
To the Poet Who Pets Chickens Karla Huston
The Arrival Hilary Sallick
Whippoorwill Charles Chase
Why We Found Three Swallows Polly Brown
Brown-Headed Cowbird Charles Weld
Cowbird’s Contribution to the Conference... Steve Myers
To a Mourning Dove Beth Seetch
Keepsake Bart White
Color Lorrie Jayne
Waking to Birds Leah Zazulyer
Northern Harrier Charles Weld
Raptor Inga M. Potter
Gray Thief Laurie Wilcox-Meyer
On Cedar Street Polly Brown
(at sunset) Paul Lobo Portugés
Hunt at Spitfire Dale Hobson
Heron Mind Tom Nicotera
Western Meadowlark Gayle Lauradunn
In-N-Out: Austin, Texas Brian Garrison
Two Lucky Birds on Luana Street Mary Strong Jackson
Bird on Bird Bruce Bennett
Bird Kathryn Howd Machan
Wrensong Stan Galloway
Goldfinches Martha Treichler
Mint Floss Joanne DeSimone Reynolds
Generations Eric Rounds
Wild Articulation Sandra Fees
Redwing (No Metaphor) Edward A. Dougherty
Time to Leave Phyllis Wax
Waiting for Fox P. A. Pashibin
Homage, Orby Head Susan Richmond
A Bayou Near Brinkley, Arkansas Martha Deed
Words to the Wise Helen Ruggieri
Three Crows Michael Czarnecki
Free Association Mary Fitzpatrick
The Starlings Ethel Paquin
Now in October Iris Miller
(Stubbled fields at rest) Darleen Abbott
(vultures swarm above) Paul Lobo Portugés
On the Bluff Above Grandfather Falls CJ Muchhala
Philosophy for the Shallow Howie Good
At Alewife Reservation in November Hilary Sallick
(A lone fisherman) Darleen Abbott
Winter Comes ~ A Ramble Mary Fitzpatrick
Four CJ Muchhala
Owl’s Winter Bernard Quetchenbach
Midwinter Cathie Sandstrom
Midwinter Andrew Vogel
The Passage of Winter Dawn Paul
Suddenly at Dusk Charles Chase
Mid-January Noon, Thaw,… Patricia Roth Schwartz
The Country, Mid-January Steve Myers
Portrait of the Artist as a Young Girl Marilyn L. T. Klimcho
Alek Therien’s Chickadees Charles Weld
Starlings Bernard Shore
The Crows Fly into Town at Dusk Howard Nelson
Two Hawks (St. Valentine’s Day) Terri House
Getting Back to the Woodpecker George Steele
Passing the Pines in Shirtsleeves… John Berry
Hold All Lovely as a Bird Dwain Wilder
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