Up ahead
To my right
Around the point;
Burst of squawks and
Beating of heavy wings
Filled the air.
The head and then its long endless body
Rose right over
The spine of my canoe
The heron
Blocking my vision, my view.
No more than ten feet above
My transfixed eyes.
The Great Blue Heron flew toward me
Thwump, thwump …
I heard the wings breaking
The early morning stillness around me.
The bird
Cupped its wings
And hovered for a moment,
Or a lifetime.
Each feather was visible -
Rust, cream, slate,
And light blue eye shadow.
I watched, transfixed, silently,
The bird fly off
Across my lake.
=============
edited September 28, 2017
ten feet overhead – v11
(editing version 2)
edited October 29, 2015
ten feet overhead – v10
(editing original)
edited August 21, 2015
Ten Feet Overhead – v9
(editing version 6)
edited December 9, 2014
Ten Feet Overhead – v8
(editing version 6)
edited April 3, 2014
Ten Feet (not Twenty) Overhead – v7
(editing version posted 5/3/2004)
Edited September 20, 2012
“Ten Feet Overhead – v6”
editing the 4th version (the one with Marie Harris
input)
&
Edited September 20, 2012
“Ten Feet Overhead – v5”
(editing the 3rd version)
inspired by
reading it at Poets’ Corner
monthly poetry
reading,
at the Suncook
Senior Center
September 10,
2012
&
Saved as separate file and reposted
September 20, 2012
published version – 2/7/2004
“Ten Feet
Overhead – v4”
Written June 18, 2001, edits June 21 and June 22, 2001, based
on input from NH Poet Laureate, Marie Harris.
&
The evolution of
the poem - Ten Feet Overhead”
The three drafts below represent the evolution of a poem,
"Ten Feet Overhead", based on a morning on Swains Lake in Barrington,
NH in 2001, reading down from 1st draft to a second version, finally to the
published version, posted here on 2/7/04.
&
“Ten Feet
Overhead – v3”
June 21, 2001
“Ten Feet
Overhead – v2”
June 22, 2001
“Ten Feet
Overhead – v1”
June 18, 2001
summer of 2000
Swain’s Lake
Barrington, NH
All of my
poems, photographs, and videos are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001,
2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014,
2015, 2016, and 2017. All rights are reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss (raymondafoss@gmail.com) for usage. See
all 45,020 of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com
Poetry Where You Live.
blue, body, Canoe, creator, eyes, Faith, feather, feet, flowers,
God, hope, king, life, light, Nature, heron, Poetry Where You Live, Swains Lake,
water, wings, National Poetry Day,
#blue #body #Canoe #creator #eyes #heron #feather #feet #flowers
#God #hope #life #light #Nature #water #wings #NationalPoetryDay #poem
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