“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…
Oh that he
would leave me alone…
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…
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!
*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:
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.
A delightful write. I think yu will see many more thaws.
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!
Loved your poem, so many myths with these beautiful creatures.
Nice mysterious write Anna. Happy Wednesday
Much💛🖤💛love
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!
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.
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.
I totally agree..would feel that same sense of foreboding if there was an owl keeping vigil outside my window.. super write!
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.
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.
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 . . . "
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!
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