The Stars at Night, a Wood-Rail in verse

The Rufous-necked Wood-Rail of New Mexico, sadly having most likely moved on now, has inspired no shortage of excitement among birders in the ABA area and beyond. Even those of us stuck on the wrong side of the continent - like yours truly - have really enjoyed watching so many birders so excited about a single sighting and the carnival-like atmosphere that resulted.

photo by Jeff Gordon

 

Perhaps the most creative response to the wood-rail was sent to me by poet Tom Crawford. I share it with you now.

 

THE STARS AT NIGHT

Tom Crawford

I wanted to be a more serious poet,

grind my teeth in the dark,

get existential with my emotional fatigue

but with one good bourbon on ice

I was always in bed by 9:00.

And in the morning, couldn’t help it,

the early light dazzled me

and like clock work, here come the birds

again, right through my window.

Of course, by then I’m lost

to any feelings of hopelessness

which also meant I had no chance

with East coast magazines where celebration

tends to raise a stink. My up beat,

excitable poems, well—you can blame it

on the birds, their variety, colors, habits, long

evolution—I’ve been unable to resist.

There are lots of people, I’ve discovered,

not all that comfortable with happiness.

Now I’m resigned to a small circle of friends

who have also turned to birds.

That’s right, they put out suet and seed.

And they won’t live where they can’t see

the stars at night. The other day someone spotted

a South American Rufous-necked Wood-Rail

in the Bosque del Apache in New Mexico of all places.

The news went viral. Birders came in by car and plane

from all over America just to glimpse this darling.

Everybody was happy.

--=====--

Tom Crawford is a teacher and the author of 7 books of poetry, the most recent, The Names of Birds which is available through his web page: tomcrawfordpoetry.com. His love, besides birding and writing about birds, is presenting at bird venues. Most recently, Mono Lake's Bird Chautauqua in Lee Vining,  California.

Comments

[Suzan]

Tom Crawford's latest book, "The Names of Birds," contains many wonderful poems about birds. If you like "The Stars at Night," you'll want to read entire "The Names of Birds."