Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Red-winged Blackbird's Funeral


Red-winged Blackbird, Wikimedia Commons



The sky played a trick,
impeding my flight—
dealing my doom.

The worm did not cry,
escaping to the depths
of a joyous homecoming.

Faces in the sky
of my sunset
held their breaths for me,

but brains
do not re-enter skulls;
and trash bags become funerary.

At least
I do not die alone
and without mourners.


Copyright © 2013 Jennifer Wagner


For Peggy’s prompt at Poetry Jam where the prompt is to write from the perspective of an animal.  This incident happened a couple of weeks ago.  A red-winged blackbird flew into our picture window so forcefully it could not recover.  The worm in its beak fell out and crawled away.  The bird, though so fatally wounded, struggled heartily. My boys were mostly fascinated by the scene and the science of it all.  But as the only female in a household of boys and men, it tore my heart a bit. 

42 comments:

Mary said...

Oh, this is sad, Jennifer. I want to cry for this little red-winged blackbird and its sad fate. Things like this happen all too often, I fear. You wrote it well.

Sarav said...

Jennifer, my heart cries too any time a bird hits a window--sometimes they make it but usually not. I love red-winged blackbirds their beautiful flashes of red and their distinctive song. Never seen a worm fall out of their beak and crawl away though--that was something! Boys have a way of just grooving on the science of it don't they? This is a beautiful poem.

Margaret said...

Faces in the sky of my sunset... I can just see your boys heads together, fascinated - and you near tears. Yes, at least the bird had mourners.

Grace said...

That is sad when this happens ~ We wrote about birds

:-)

RMP said...

poor bird; I imagine the worm wouldn't cry, unless it was one of happiness that it might now see another day. lovely poem.

Brian Miller said...

oh i can imagine that is did...so sad to see life lost no matter if it human or animal...i found 'but brains
do not re-enter skulls;
and trash bags become funerary.' to be evocative...

ND Mitchell said...

Really sad scene painted in beauty. Had a similar experience but with a happier ending when a bird flew into our patio doors. I watched as it lay on the ground for at least ten minutes and was beginning to think about the clear-up operations when it twitched a muscle and gradually "came back to life" before flying off. Sad when it doesn't work out like this though :(

Valleypoet said...

Very very sad for the poor bird, but one very lucky worm!...a great write, described brilliantly in so few words:-))

Sadia Khan said...

Really sad...my heart weeps when i see any animal or a bird suffering ...n watching them die when I am as helpless as any of them...that's heart wrenching ..

Helen said...

Yes, that had to be difficult to witness ... a lesson about the fragility of life for your little ones.

Amrit Sinha said...

This is sad !!!

Jennifer Wagner said...

Hard to watch it struggle like that in its final moments. Poor thing. Thanks Mary.

Jennifer Wagner said...

They are so lovely, especially up close. Love those striking colors. It was so surprising about the worm! Never have seen that before. I bet you have seen all sorts of interesting things while birding, that's such a cool hobby. Makes me think about doing it myself.

Jennifer Wagner said...

I admit I had to look away for a bit...the struggling against death was a bit hard to watch.

Jennifer Wagner said...

Loved your beautiful piece Grace.

Jennifer Wagner said...

I'm sure you're right about the worm! :)

Jennifer Wagner said...

You are right...difficult to see the dying.

Jennifer Wagner said...

We waited too, but too much damage sustained by the little thing. Glad you had a much better outcome!

Jennifer Wagner said...

Thanks! Happy dance day for the worm for sure! :-)

Jennifer Wagner said...

Oh yes...thanks for coming by to comment Sadia. And thanks so much for following as well!

Jennifer Wagner said...

They are tough boys, my husband is a firefighter so they know much about the fragility of life. They did hope it would be able to get back up and fly away.

Jennifer Wagner said...

Thanks for coming by GS.

Peggy said...

What a lovely tribute to this unfortunate blackbird. I love seeing the redwings and hearing them. This is a very skillful write!

Jennifer Wagner said...

Thanks very much Peggy for your comment and this prompt...I am in love with that horse photo you posted!

Optimistic Existentialist said...

I used to see red winged blackbirds everywhere in the farmland where I first grew up. Memories :)

Sherry Blue Sky said...

What a beautiful poem. I especially love "faces in the sky of my sunset held their breaths for me". Very tender. I love the ending, that the bird did not die alone, without mourners.

Tony Van Helsing said...

'Trash bags become funerary'. Interesting.

Judy Roney said...

Such a good poem about such a sad occasion. I had a cardinal do that. It kept running into my window until it killed itself. We tried everything to keep it from doing that. Covered the window, applied stickers, hung a shiny object...to now avail. I know how sad this is.

Fireblossom said...

Wow! This is really really good; the scene, the language you've chosen ("trash bags become funerary"), and the heart you've invested in this real-life scene which you've made into poetry. I am particularly partial to red wing blackbirds, and I would have reacted as you did. It would have hurt my heart to see him undone that way.

Dave King said...

Faces in the sky
of my sunset
held their breaths for me,

Stunning verse in a fine poem.

Jennifer Wagner said...

Thank you Loredana...appreciate your visit :)

Jennifer Wagner said...

Thanks Sherry :)

Jennifer Wagner said...

Thanks for coming by and reading.

Jennifer Wagner said...

aww...I love cardinals...that is too bad :( Thanks for coming by and commenting Judy.

Jennifer Wagner said...

Thanks Shay! Your words mean a lot. I felt it was a bit 'choppy' but went with it anyway. It was sad, he was a beautiful bird.

Jennifer Wagner said...

Thank you so much Dave!

Unknown said...

I can just imagine a house of boys oohing and ahhing over the science of this fatal hit. Your words captured the scene so well.

Jennifer Wagner said...

Thanks very much Robyn.

my heart's love songs said...

beautifully and poignantly written, Jennifer. i can't stand to see birds or other animals hurt either.

Jennifer Wagner said...

Thank you Dani :-)

Anonymous said...

very sad but well done

Jennifer Wagner said...

It was. And thank you.