HARRY

[jbstillwater]

"Harry" metaphoric poetry and art, Janet K. Brennan


He came to my garden every year,
Old Harry,
peeking 'round the vigas of my porch,
stopping in air to greet;
fluttering his wings so fast,
I could barely see them move,
hovering . . . looking for his
nectar sweet, always finding
what he was lookin'for.
I could not deny him.
Then, off he'd go,
swoopin'across my yard,
happy to be where he was,
mever thinking where he'd go next.
He was already there.

Then one night,
as the sun set and the
soft evening breeze that
accompanies that high desert time
caressed my face,
Harry came, but not alone.
With a twill and a mid- air feat
he said, "Hello,"
enjoyed his evening treat.
She was next.
Off they flew . . . I would be
his fiddle two
from that time on.

One cool morning in early fall
I found him, feathers scattered,
a bloody battle.
No care taken in the deed;
nor any sign of remorse,
only Amos, my favorite gal
sitting near him,
proud of her gift for me . . . my Harry.

I buried him 'neath my English Tea,
his favorite.
Looked for him no more,
'til one sweet day in June
I heard the sound. . .
A trill of unwavering wings,
a mid- air greeting,
a trip to the feeder-off,
swoopin'across my garden, fair.
Happy to be where she was,
never thinkin'where she'd go next,
she was already there.
.
He taught her well, my Harry,
he taught her well.







Copyright © Janet Brennan, All rights reserved

[rrw]

A nice little piece about life, death and unconditional love. A warm story that is sad in places... but reaffirms that life does go on... nice work... typo: mever thinking where he'd go next. Great poem.

[michaelgallatin]

Feel somehow like I've read this one before! Deja vu or have I my friend? Very nice poem though sad. Esp. touching because it's about a bird. Funny who and what we grow close to. Can't say that I've ever been that close to a bird though there have been some I liked, esp. Tweetie (our parakeet when I was a boy). I'm very fond of our cat, Bebe (with accents and pronounced as the French would do so). Bebe is very much the queen, beautiful, regal and charming though also very loving, gentle and sweet. She's a kind spirit! She's also about 102 or so in human years (16 in cat years). It will hurt me a lot when she passes on as it hurt with Doc Holiday (my dachschund and another sweet, gentle, loving soul). A very nice read Jan!

Take care,
Mike
;D

[johan]

What a delightfuly sad but joyful poem Jan, just loved the way this written, I could see a picture in my minds eye, wonderful.

Andrew

[purplespirit]

"Only a bird", some may say, but the joy of life and the sad end of a little soul. It is so wonderfully written Jan that it moves even a heart of stone and it makes us look in the mirror.... A unique work, thank you. Ulla xx

[jbstillwater]

Thanks guys, yes Robert, you are right about the true meaning of this poem.