Linda Kulp Trout

Thursday, August 6, 2015

Poetry Friday

Has this ever happened to you?  The other day I was in my bedroom folding laundry when something just outside the window caught my eye.  At first I thought it was a large dragonfly, but as it came closer, I realized it was a hummingbird. I'd never seen a hummingbird up close so seeing this tiny golden-green bird hovering above our zinnias was very exciting. Then, two more hummingbirds arrived!

I ran to get my camera, but by the time I got back, my visitor was gone. Next thing I know, I was sitting next to the window for more than an hour, camera poised waiting for a chance to snap their picture. They must have seen me because I didn't see them anymore until the next morning.

All week, I've watched as several hummingbirds come for a sip of nectar before zipping off to my neighbor's bird feeder. I kept a camera next to the window and raised the blind, ready to capture these beauties.  I waited and waited, but they didn't come back until I lower the blind.  I stood at the window and watched as they took turns landing on the stem and plucking the petals from the zinnias.  In a matter of minutes, the zinnias were nearly bald!

before                                                                                                                  after
                                                                                                          


After many, many tries I finally got a few pictures of my new friends.   Every morning, I open the curtains and there they are!  On Wednesday, I was late leaving for work because I couldn't tear myself away from the window.  (My cat shares my obsession.)   I wrote a tanka to help me remember the experience.                                                                                                     

 Camera Shy
 
Hello, hummingbird
welcome to my flowerbox.
Sip on some nectar
while I get my camera—
     
        Hey friend, where are you going?
 
 
If you love hummingbirds as much as I do, check out Hummingbird Nest: A Journal of Poems by one of my favorite poets, Kristine O'Connell George.  This excellent collection of poems records a family's observations of a mother hummingbird and her babies. It's a perfect addition to any classroom library!

 


           Ta



friend, where are you going?TTTTT










TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
    Tabitha is hosting today's Poetry Friday at  The Opposite of Indifference.  Hope to see you there!           


14 comments:

  1. Lovely Linda. Your poem made me smile and I love hearing about your visitors. We don't have hummingbirds in Australia so I find them fascinating

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sally, I never really thought much about hummingbirds, but now that they are right outside my window, I can't stop watching them. : ) It's too bad there aren't any in Australia, but I bet you have some other amazing birds that we don't here?

      Delete
  2. So sweet - both your visitor and your poem! I was telling some friends recently that I wanted my husband to plant flowers that would attract hummingbirds -- and they gently told me that there are no hummingbirds in Italy! Who knew? So I'm in Sally's boat and must admire them from afar. :) Thank you for sharing yours with me!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Renee, it's funny how some things happen. I wanted a butterfly bush, because I've been missing the deer I used to watch at our previous house. He asked me to wait until next year because he wants to redo our deck. Then, my granddaughter's flower bloomed and along came the hummingbirds for me to watch. I'm totally hooked on them!

      Delete
  3. I love hummingbirds too! Why were they plucking the petals off?!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Liz, I have no idea why they are doing that. The odd thing is that they plucked every petal from the orange flower, but only a few petals from the purple ones. I'm going to do some research and find out why they did that.

      Delete
  4. So cool! That is a lovely shot of the little fellow sitting on a flower stem. Worth all the time and trouble you spent! Hummers are one of my favorite birds. They are magical! Your poem captures the feeling of sighting one exactly.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Andie. I have fallen in love with these little birds!

      Delete
  5. One day you need to visit a hummingbird aviary, Linda– now THAT is an experience. They get right in your face and hover, checking you out.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, Michelle that sounds so cool! I need to see if there are any in my area. Thanks for the suggestion. : )

      Delete
  6. I'm TOTALLY with you on being captivated by hummers! I haven't seen many in my garden this year -- usually they come to my coral bells. Wonder why they were plucking zinnia leaves?!?!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mary Lee, I don't know much about flowers or birds so I'm totally lost. I wish they wouldn't pluck the petals off. My granddaughter was here to visit yesterday, and she was thrilled to see the hummingbirds, but a little sad about her flower.

      Delete
  7. Lovely tanka--and that happens to me a lot. I am never nimble enough to capture the moment in a photo...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Laura, gosh those little guys are so quick. They only stay for a few seconds, and then they're gone. I held the camera up to the window trying to get a picture until my arms ached. I finally got a few shots, but they weren't as clear as I hoped. : )

      Delete