Sonnet for a Pair of Egyptian Geese

poem by: Geoffrey Brewer
Written on Feb 10, 2017

The local 'Balancing Pond that buffers the various tributaries feeding the Blackwater River, is a haven for varieties of water fowl. Resident or sojourning there you can see: mute swans, raucous Canada geese (these North Americans!) mallards, coots, moorhens, gulls, little egrets, a solitary heron etc. AND a pair of Egyptian Geese, not native to England but no doubt descendants of a few, introduced to a stately park for decoration, but since gone feral. They have been in residence on the pond for many seasons now. This last couple have a touching devotion to each other, but have what seems to be a puzzled, if not bewildered demeanour as if to say: "where are we? what are we doing here?
This sonnet is for them.
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Sonnet for a Pair of Egyptian Geese

Across icy pond through chilly misty haze
Bewildered but yet with a stoical bearing
This couple, never parted, wistfully gaze
Can this be the exotic land forebears had their dwelling?
Atavistic dreams where great river and desert meet
And arid sand is transformed to verdant garden
There dhows of timeless design skim neath silken sheet
While Sphinx looks on with inscrutable visage spartan
But when Spring warms air and water and this land is greening
Will they be reassured, that there is no need to roam
When all winged life is fluttering, dancing and preening
See these waters as not alien but truly their home
Irony and pun prompt the poet to write with wry smile 
'Our dear feathered couple live blissfully - in denial'

 

Tags: happy, love, humor, inspirational,

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Christopher Russon commented:
Lovely poem Geoffrey reminds me of Eldon park Solihull lots of ponds and bird life.
George Griffiths commented on Feb 20, 2019 at 6:22pm
I enjoyed reading this! It’s a great peace of work

 

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