[mou] Counting Birds
WWoessner@aol.com
WWoessner@aol.com
Wed, 11 Feb 2004 20:46:17 EST
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Dear Birders Who Read Poetry--
Mary Oliver's poem is charming, but she is showing off. Note that she is
telling the reader that she KNOWS the difference between the call of a Great
Horned Owl and a Barred Owl--she just doesn't choose to get close enough to know
for sure.
I think alot of birders who aren't so sure of the difference would want to
make the effort to get closer to hear clearly, or even to try to see if the owl
had ear tufts or not, but Oliver is content to meditate on the snow. Her
(artistic) choice.
Here is one of my poems which, though perhaps a lesser effort, is meant to be
a fun poem about listing, or at least KNOWING what you are seeing:
CAPE MAY POINT
Snapshots of sun
silhouette scoters
close to shore.
We pick off an eider
with the scope.
Farther out, gannets
wheel and dive,
show fish how to fly.
We watch the sea-spears
at 30 power, wind,
bird, waves, blowing
straight in our eyes.
Good birding (listing even)
Warren Woessner
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<HTML><FONT FACE=3Darial,helvetica><HTML><FONT SIZE=3D2 PTSIZE=3D10 FAMILY=
=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=3D"Lucida Sans Unicode" LANG=3D"0">Dear Birders Who Read=
Poetry--<BR>
<BR>
Mary Oliver's poem is charming, but she is showing off. Note that she is tel=
ling the reader that she KNOWS the difference between the call of a Great Ho=
rned Owl and a Barred Owl--she just doesn't choose to get close enough to kn=
ow for sure.<BR>
I think alot of birders who aren't so sure of the difference would want to m=
ake the effort to get closer to hear clearly, or even to try to see if the o=
wl had ear tufts or not, but Oliver is content to meditate on the snow. =
; Her (artistic) choice.<BR>
Here is one of my poems which, though perhaps a lesser effort, is meant to b=
e a fun poem about listing, or at least KNOWING what you are seeing:<BR>
<BR>
CAPE MAY POINT<BR>
<BR>
Snapshots of sun<BR>
silhouette scoters<BR>
close to shore.<BR>
We pick off an eider<BR>
with the scope.<BR>
Farther out, gannets<BR>
wheel and dive,<BR>
show fish how to fly.<BR>
We watch the sea-spears<BR>
at 30 power, wind,<BR>
bird, waves, blowing<BR>
straight in our eyes.<BR>
<BR>
Good birding (listing even)<BR>
Warren Woessner</FONT></HTML>
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