Hummingbirds

Hummingbirds cut arcs

right angles

trapezoids and triangles

and fancy geometric curves

as they hover and hum.

Their voices are small stones

quartz chips that hit

                                                                    they flit away 

stoke up on flower’s

nectar they sip

through long beaks. 

They prepare for long flights south

peer in our windows

and chase each other away

they drain our hanging feeders

each day.

The Wilderness Within

Basic Instincts

Goslings follow the leader—

waddling after an imprint.

Veed geese fly home

the arctic tern,

the hummingbird,

and bright eyed warblers

fly to their tropical havens.

Lake trout swirl at river mouths

then race upstream.

American eels return from the sea

to freshwater streams.

Undersea

lobsters march in single file—

they know exactly where

they are going.

And we humans also know

where we are going

God’s green imprint is

upon our hearts.

                           --Barbara Spring

excerpted from my book The Wilderness Within

This book is widely available at Amazon.com, bn.com and many bookstores.

Why Do Birds Sing at Daybreak?

Why Do Birds Sing at Daybreak?

Robins with their marmalade voices

Caucuses of crows

And mourning doves loving the morning sun—

Humming birds never humble in spite

of their size chirp and hum as they fly.

Warblers warble and catbirds crumble

All the songs they ever heard together

Sweet crumbs of song

tumble through rose colored skies.

Then sleepy at evening a robin sings

Its sweet bedtime song.

But most of all

Birds sing at sunrise?

Why?

--Barbara Spring

Between Sweetwater and Sand

Between Sweet Water and Sand

Tongues of hummingbirds

sip sweet fushia nectar

Whirring dragonfly wings—dragonfly eyes—

Tails of white seagulls

Fan out in flight

Bumble bees buzz and fumble

Among deep white blossoms

Golden poppies pop

Open in sun light

White moonflowers open

In the night.

Waves roll and tumble in

Kites high above weave in sky looms.

Kids dip their little toes

In the lake—squeeze out squeals.

Catelpa trees

Dance green leaves white petals fall.

The catbird speaks in tongues

Pleased to be on top of the tallest tree

Our lives between the sweet water seas and sand

more delicious than we ever planned.

this poem is from my forthcoming book of poems: Between Sweetwater and Sand