Wednesday 10 October 2018

Owl



“And yesterday the bird of night did sit
Even at noon-day upon the marketplace,
Hooting and shrieking.  When these prodigies
Do so conjointly meet, let not men say,
“These are their reasons.  They are natural.”
For I believe they are portentous things
Unto the climate that they point upon.”
(Julius Caesar, Shakespeare.)


I’m not one prone to superstition, I’m not.  I defiantly walk under ladders, step on cracks in the pavement and chatter whilst walking under a *monkey puzzle.  If I break a mirror and cut myself clearing the fragments, that is carelessness.  I do not fear the next seven years. 

But this is different.  He (owl) has stood sentry outside my window for nigh on two days now, staring at me, unblinking.  He appears to need neither nourishment nor sleep, his only need seeming that of me.

Winter is here and I find myself fading as if day into night.  And he watches.  He watches.  He watches…


Night yawns at sunrise and I welcome this new day –
I  live!   I  live! 
Snow falls gently from the heavens,
casting itself at my window,
blankets the earth in its white finery,
offers me strange comfort.

Still, there is a sense of foreboding, a hollowness,
and owl, he watches, he watches. 
I fear his vigilance and wonder if I shall live to see the thaw…

Oh that he would leave me alone…

Anna :o]  

*During my early childhood I learnt of the superstition of talking whilst walking beneath the branches of a monkey puzzle tree - it was believed that bad luck would occur or we might lose something and in some cases grow a monkey's tail!

Sumana at Poets United has us writing of The Owl and above is my offering.  Cheers for the inspiration Sumana!
  
Image:  Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Author:  Richard Fisher

13 comments:

Sumana Roy said...

Oh, that unblinking stare is disturbing. Lots of story elements are here. Love how that 'sense of foreboding' gradually fills the atmosphere within such a short span of a poem. Fantastic, Anna.

annell4 said...

A delightful write. I think yu will see many more thaws.

Sherry Blue Sky said...

It is said owls are a portent of a death, but not always the one the owl appears to. Perhaps a warning of another impending death it is preparing you for. After my mother died, I was driving towards her home, and a brown owl flew in slow motion across my windshield, staring in at me. I could see every feather. Our eyes met. She had a message for me from my mother in the spirit nation, I do believe.May you have many thaws yet!

Vicki said...

Loved your poem, so many myths with these beautiful creatures.

Gillena Cox said...

Nice mysterious write Anna. Happy Wednesday

Much💛🖤💛love

indybev said...


This reminded me a friend of mine who was quite ill. A cardinal kept flying against her window, and it disturbed her so. I tried to convince her he was just courting his own image. As it turned out, her illness was terminal. The old myths come to mind. I, too, wish you many more thaws!

Truedessa said...

I have had some good and bad encounters with the mysterious owl. If he shows up in my life, I pay close attention as a message will be forthcoming.

Fireblossom said...

Now I've got that old song "Wildfire" in my head because of the lyric about the owl. I think it's clear he wants something or has a message.

Thotpurge said...

I totally agree..would feel that same sense of foreboding if there was an owl keeping vigil outside my window.. super write!

Kim M. Russell said...

I'm not one for superstition either, although I do have my own little rituals, but I agree it is unnerving to be stared at through your window by an owl!
I love the phrase 'Night yawns at sunrise' and the lines:
'Snow falls gently from the heavens,
casting itself at my window,
blankets the earth in its white finery,
offers me strange comfort'
which set the scene beautifully, Anna. I also like how the atmosphere of the poem changes with the introduction of the owl.

Old Egg said...

Of course birds fly into windows as they see their relections and possible competition for a mate, food or shelter. Even as a kid I defiantly walked under ladders and tested other beliefs and how important that is to achieve a little bit more in you life than others.

Susan said...

How very Edgar Allen Poe of you! I've been thinking of that JC quote too, and you made beautiful poetry of it! "Still, there is a sense of foreboding, a hollowness . . . "

Margaret said...

I used to have crows that sat on branches watching me through my big kitchen window (and a squirrel that would sit on my ledge and look in as well!) They all were waiting for me to fill the songbird feeder! But an owl would unnerve me!