Saturday, April 05, 2008

The Veery-Thrush

My blogpal Greg - a poet in his own right - has been posting poetry in honor of National Poetry Month at Enchilada's Blog. I don't have Greg's talents, but I decided to join in the fun anyway by posting bird-related poems by other authors. This poem references one of my favorite bird songs, that of the Veery.

1597. The Veery-Thrush

By Joseph Russell Taylor

BLOW softly, thrush, upon the hush
That makes the least leaf loud,
Blow, wild of heart, remote, apart
From all the vocal crowd,
Apart, remote, a spirit note
That dances meltingly afloat,
Blow faintly, thrush!
And blind the green-hid waterfall
I heated for its beauty, and all
The unloved vernal rapture and flush,
The old forgotten lonely time,
Delicate thrush!
Spring ’s at the prime, the world ’s in chime,
And my love is listening nearly;
O lightly blow the ancient woe,
Flute of the wood, blow clearly!
Blow, she is here, and the world all dear,
Melting flute of the hush,
Old sorrow estranged, enriched, sea changed,
Breathe it, veery-thrush!