Ten Feet Overhead – v13 #GreatBlueHeron

Up ahead, to my right around the point;
Burst of squawks / beating of heavy wings
Erupted, filling the still air.
 
Head and then its long endless body
Rose right over the spine of my canoe
Heron blocking my vision, my view...
 
No more than ten feet above my transfixed eyes.
The Great Blue Heron flew toward me
Thwump, thwump …
 
In my spirit, my prayer, my attentiveness,
I heard the wings pushing, breaking
early-morning-stillness around me.
 
The bird cupped its sails
And hovered but for a moment,
Or a lifetime, it seemed.
 
Each feather of its wings were visible -
Shades of rust, cream, slate,
Light blue eye shadow.
 
I watched, motionless, silently;
The bird flew off, majestically, royalty,
Alone, across my lake.
 
=============  

edited February 20, 2022

Ten Feet Overhead – v13

https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2022/02/ten-feet-overhead-v13.html

edited February 20, 2022

Ten Feet Overhead – v12

https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2022/02/ten-feet-overhead-v12.html

edited September 28, 2017

ten feet overhead – v11

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2017/09/ten-feet-overhead-v11.html

(editing version 2)

edited October 29, 2015

ten feet overhead – v10

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2015/10/ten-feet-not-twenty-overhead-v10.html

(editing original)

edited August 21, 2015

Ten Feet Overhead – v9

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2015/08/ten-feet-overhead-v9.html

(editing version 6)

edited December 9, 2014

Ten Feet Overhead – v8

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2014/12/ten-feet-overhead-v8.html

(editing version 6)

edited April 3, 2014

Ten Feet (not Twenty) Overhead – v7

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2014/04/ten-feet-not-twenty-overhead-v7.html

(editing version posted 5/3/2004)

Edited September 20, 2012

Ten Feet Overhead – v6

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2012/09/ten-feet-overhead-v6.html

editing the 4^th version (the one with Marie Harris input)

&

Edited September 20, 2012

Ten Feet Overhead – v5

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2012/09/ten-feet-not-twenty-overhead-v5.html

(editing the 3^rd 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

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2004/02/one-morning-on-swains-lake.html

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

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2004/05/evolution-of-poem-ten-feet-overhead.html

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

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2004/05/ten-feet-overhead-final-version.html

Ten Feet Overhead – v2

June 22, 2001

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2004/05/ten-feet-not-twenty-overhead-second.html

Ten Feet Overhead – v1

June 18, 2001

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2004/05/ten-feet-not-twenty-overhead-first.html

summer of 2000

Swain’s Lake

Barrington, NH

 

All of my poems, photographs, and videos are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022. All rights are reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss (raymondafoss@gmail.com)  for usage. See all 53,000+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

 

poetry, blue, body, Canoe, creator, eyes, Faith, feather, feet, God, hope, life, light, Nature, heron, water, wings,

 

#poetry #body #canoe #creator #eyes #heron #feather #feet #God #hope #life #light #Nature #water #wings