On wings of teal [#32 Robin]

On wings of teal

         for Robin

On wings of teal they glide over the marsh in front of your lens, land with a gentle plash only your ears are tuned to hear.

They do not fear the man behind the camera, but have learned to be wary. More work for you! Sneaking up, not breaking the silence, still as the willow or poplar, no more threatening than a moose, you capture them: head under water, tail sticking up, landing and taking off, guarding eggs in their nest, guiding offspring once hatched. You catch the cycles of lives and the seasons they fly through.

Now it's winter and they swim in puddles where water still flows free, huddle on ice, cuddle in groups on the bank. They are the ones that have remained through the winter, awaiting the return of the ones who have left, oblivious to the Robin who's arrived before Spring.

© Kåre Enga

[168.247] November 22, 2011

Note to self, earlier version:

On wings of teal, they glide over the marsh in front of your lens. They land with a gentle plash only your ears are tuned to hear.

They do not fear the man behind the camera, but have learned to be wary. More work for you! Sneaking up, not breaking the silence, still as the willow or poplar, no more threatening than a moose, you capture them: head under water, tail sticking up, landing and taking off, guarding eggs in their nest, guiding offspring once hatched. You catch the cycles of lives and the seasons they fly through.

Now it's winter and they swim in puddles where water flows free, huddle on ice in a group on the bank. They are the ones that remain, awaiting the return of the ones who have left, and the robin of Spring.