Winter’s secret

Willy_wag_tail-2 (1)

walking the existential plain
head in bright bitter light
down the hollow rutted ground

a wagtail — spirit of meadow and junkyard
(desolate fugitive)
— hops from bramble to a green vinyl sofa
chirps:

hear the recumbent grasses
how they itch for
summer’s exuberance
even now.

Image: by fir0002 | flagstaffotos.com.au, from Wikimedia Commons. A quadrille for dverse, which has been the poets’ pub for 7 years now, where Grace is hosting and asks about our ‘itch‘. My favourite field guide says: ‘the Australian Willy Wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys) is a passerine bird native to Australia.  Its common name is derived from its habit of wagging its tail horizontally when foraging on the ground. Aggressive and territorial, the wagtail will often harass much larger birds. Voice: ‘sweet pretty creature’ often at night in Spring; harsh chatter when annoyed.  Is widely featured in Aboriginal folklore as either a bringer of bad news or a stealer of secrets. And here’s something seasonal from The Byrds

15 thoughts on “Winter’s secret”

  6. LOVE this write….love your explanation. We so enjoyed our visits to Australia — especially to an aboriginal garden with a guide; and to New Zealand — especially to learn about the Maori.

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  9. “Spirit of meadow and junkyard”
    All places are everywhere together at once aren’t they, the wagtail doesn’t care, it just lives where it is and brings life where it perches. Wonderful Quadrille!

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