Dear grassy,
this time it is an interesting poem! My only problem is that stanza 4 linr 4
seems slightly ambiguous as to person. If your birdwatcher were called Jim
or something it would be clear - but it had me going 'hang on, birds dont
get mothers milk...' I certainly like the idea and the last four lines
particularly.,
bw
SallyE

on 13/6/03 5:44 pm, grasshopper at [log in to unmask]
wrote:

> Thoughts from the hide.
>
> He watches a blue-tit feeding
> its young, the fledgling a blur
> and gape and gulp of demand,
> the adult bird infinitely flustered.
> If a bird can frown, it frowns,
> and seeps invisible sweat.
> The tongue knows only four tastes,
> salt , like re-routed tears,
> acid, a dry suck of lemon,
> bitter, the exudate of brilliant beetles,
> and sweet like a strawberry shake
> or his mother's milk
> which he does not remember
> but for which he feels suddenly grateful.
>
> The blue-tit flies off to seek another bug,
> another fat curl of caterpillar,
> which will be as satisfying
> as his mother's milk,
> which he cannot remember.
> The first flavour on his tongue
> apart from its own familar saliva,
> was the taste of his mother's milk
> which he cannot remember
> but for which he is suddenly grateful.
>
> The bird returns with a moth
> as pale as milk, or moonlight.
> The fledgling swallows it with a bulge
> of eyeballs, then gapes again.
>
> grasshopper