As March forewarns and patches of bare grass wink,
they come on solo flights with long Hollywood like necks.
Journey frigid wind currents make round eyes blink;
are these last of stragglers on empty trek?
I think not, they are mighty explorers;
adventurers at heart battling the last of ice.
Fore-runners of mild spring breeze, restorers.
A day or week may pass with sun so nice;
deep rich tones bubbling from long feathered throat.
Wings soaring, flapping, dancing on spring breeze
open waters still chilled; large forms float.
Away! Early geese you are such a tease.
Then in final V-formation all return.
The last of frost worn as nail polish;
while wings flap like rhythm of a gittern*.
Promises for balmy, cold abolish!
*The gittern was a relatively small, quill-plucked, gut strung instrument that originated around the 13th century and came to Europe via Moorish Spain. It was also called the quinterne in Germany, the guitarra in Spain, and the chitarra in Italy. A popular instrument with the minstrels and amateur musicians of the 14th century, the gittern eventually out-competed its rival, the citole. Soon after, its popularity began to fade, giving rise to the larger and more evocative lute and guitar.
Stop at @ dVerse Poets Pub.
And joining…
missing moments
/ March 1, 2012Beautiful imagery! So looking forward to spring.
Beth Winter
/ March 1, 2012Fantastic imagery. I wish the geese here would migrate but the neighbors have interfered with nature with their misguided kindness, throwing more feed than they need each day. Much enjoyed.
1emeraldcity
/ February 29, 2012You’re an excellent imagist. You hooked me with “patches of bare grass wink” Liked well the entire poem
springman
/ February 29, 2012Wonderful post!
Yep, we used to call our guitars git-fiddles. You are right on the money!
ed pilolla
/ February 29, 2012early geese are such a tease. i like that. and dancing on a spring breeze. fun poem. i appreciate the definition of gittern as well.
eileeninmd
/ February 29, 2012Wonderful capture of the geese! I loved the poem and thanks for sharing the meaning of a gittern! Have a wonderful evening!
Andrew
/ February 29, 2012So lovely to read and see….
Valerie
/ February 29, 2012Reminds me of the opposite poem I wrote once; this time of year, all the birds are leaving Miami and heading home. You’re certainly welcome to some of our sunshine as well.
Steve King
/ February 29, 2012Very rich in imagery. It does evoke the very first of spring. Thanks goodness something does: the window shows me only snow falling. Good job of making new the recollection of these seasonal travelers
Carletta
/ February 29, 2012“The last of frost worn as nail polish” – made me smile!
Gay Reiser Cannon
/ February 29, 2012Harbingers in the geese – descriptions so evocative. The turn with the gittern especially so. The descriptions placing your reader at the scene. Wonderful.
Louise
/ February 29, 2012Lovely poem….there’s just something about the geese..the forerunners of spring….beautiful!
Elizabeth Young
/ February 28, 2012There are some beautiful images throughout this poem. I love ‘Hollywood necks,’ and ‘the last of frost worn as nail polish.’ Delightful muse of Spring!
Nara Malone
/ February 28, 2012Love those Hollywood necks and frost worn like nail polish. Beautiful images.
Mama Zen
/ February 28, 2012Gorgeous imagery! I love “Hollywood necks” and “frost worn as nail polish.”
bajanpoet
/ February 28, 2012I don’t have spring and winter here – nor that many geese LOL but I could see and feel the poem … liked the hollywood necks and the nail polish frost … great images
lovely piece…
Poetical Psyche
/ February 28, 2012Nice piece. I like the prevailing metaphor and how it was just always there, you told the piece, mentioned the season but once and passing, yet the whole piece attests to it, and the tone is great. also, never heard of the glittern before, was going to look it up as I always do when a word happens to get by me, but read your wonderful description, so thanks. Really nice job here. Thanks
ayala
/ February 28, 2012Lovely…it made me smile!
Pat Hatt
/ February 28, 2012Really liked the thought of hollywood like necks, at least they are deserving of them, unlike those plastic made up umm people..haha
skyraftwanderer
/ February 28, 2012Geese fly over’s are pretty aces, and you captured them well here.
I also liked how you used the word “empty”. Worked really well.
Nice work here.
mrsmediocrityy
/ February 28, 2012this made me smile… we live near a swamp, just last night i opened the back door to let the dog out, late, around midnight, and oh my, what a party the geese had going on down there! there must have been hundreds and hundreds of them judging by the sound.
spring can be such a tease…
geraldine snape
/ February 28, 2012“away, early geese you are such a tease”…I love this line so suscinctly describing the hopes that we have that winter is past…a gem!
jannie funster
/ February 28, 2012I did not know about the instruments that preceded the lute and guitar. Cool!
And great poem, of course. Something about a goose cry stops me in its tracks every time. Must be the Hollywood neck infusion.
xo
Grace
/ February 28, 2012I like their V formation…and yes, I can see spring in the horizon.
These lines speak to me ~
Fore-runners of mild spring breeze, restorers.
A day or week may pass with sun so nice
Daydreamertoo
/ February 28, 2012We’re just coming out from an all night and all day snow storm here in Atlantic Canada, I do hope no Geese are on their way back here, yet.
This is beautiful imagery. Really lovely.
claudia
/ February 28, 2012nice..nice…nice…just love the last of frost worn as nail polish…yeah…spring is def. on its way..and i can’t wait…
Jennifer@GDWJ
/ February 28, 2012We saw some geese overhead here a few days ago. We were worried they were lost. Maybe they were the adventurers.
brian miller
/ February 28, 2012smiles…the forerunners of spring…those brave adveturers sent to pave teh way for the rest….come on spring!!!!
flandrumhill
/ February 28, 2012We saw some geese last week in the marsh and wondered if they were returning already. It seems like it was just before New Year’s when we saw the last of them leave.