Ruddy Ducks

Cherry

By Silver Spun Sand

Wed, 02 Sep 2015
  • 1795 reads
8 comments
 
I wouldn’t care if I never saw
another ruddy duck...they drive you mad
after a while, especially in the spring;
‘at it’ all the time and I do not exaggerate
around the pond in front of my kitchen window
even in my herb pots on the patio, right
under my nose.  
 
Trouble is the females don’t want to know;
they would do anything rather than succumb
to anyone other than their partner’s goings on...
a regular free for all it turns into...a ‘gang-bang’
if you’ll pardon the expression, but I’m sorry, 
that’s just what it is...
 
And afterwards she’s left distraught, pretends
to preen her feathers, puffs herself up,
with a ‘how dare they’ look in her brown eyes,
and when I’m there, trying to weed,
trying to ignore the constant quacking
and posturing, she’ll follow me about, sit
right where I’m kneeling, at my side.
 
I try to ignore her; fed up with chasing
all the randy males away, only for them to fly
one lap around the field then back again,
and the only thing for it is to raise my eyes
away from the pond, the lawn, 
 
and the resident mole – designer 
of the world’s first high-rise molehills
to one small cloud, like a rose through a buttonhole
sewn in lemons, blues and pinks, as worn
by this bruised St. Martin’s sky...undecided
whether or not to rewrite the day; changeable, 
don’t they say? Nice weather, though...
for ducks
 
 
Certificate 12
Poem
Silver Spun Sand Poems
Nature
Autobiography

Comments

Submitted by Pat G on

I really enjoyed this - especially the line 
       .........undecided/ whether or not to rewrite the day;

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

Thanks, Pat.  Your thoughts, more than appreciated.

 

Submitted by airyfairy on

This really made me smile.  We have regular duck visitors - mallards in our case - and the same scenario.  They do bring the chicks to see us in the spring, though!  (And then we have to keep the cats in...)  Agree with Bear - that's some mole!

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

Hello there, af...yep...we've had at least two broods this year, the first ones are almost fully grown now, and we call them The Magnificent Sevensmiley among other thingswink

 

 

Submitted by Bee on

I know that feeling of having to decide not to get mentally involved. We have enough to worry about without taking on the facts of life in nature. 

Enjoyed the poem - very visual.

Bee

Submitted by VeraClark on

The opening line drew me in. It's lovely. Light and fun, it nails those pesky ducks.

 

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

Pesky ducks...couldn't have put it better myselfsmiley

 

 

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

Hi there, Bee.  

How astutely you picked up on that particular aspect of this poem, Bee. Many thanks to you.

Tina