Seven mallards
on our neighborhood pond
were making an unreasonable racket,
given the early hour.
Paddling furiously across the water’s surface,
the pack squawked and chattered,
a group of unruly school children,
spoiling for a fight.
I hurried to determine the source of irritation,
but stopped short,
rounding the bend.
Standing in the willowy
winter husks of pond grass
stood a tall steel blue heron.
Unmistakable
with a smooth white breast
and a long, sharp bill,
the towering heron
paid the bothered ducks no mind.
Instead, the quiet hunter
scanned the water
for breakfast.
Arriving at the grasses edge,
the blustering brood
recognized the futility of the mission.
Sharing the space was THEIR problem,
not the heron’s.
Heads hung, the ducks simply swam
in and out of the grass,
pretending not to care.
Or perhaps the ducks realized
What we all must learn…
Winning is hollow.
To survive,
coexistence is essential.
A Reading Life 
I wrote about birds too. There’s nothing like birds to inspire awe and wonder in a turbulent world! Thanks for sharing this.
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This is so beautiful – both word choice and form! Thank you for the reminder that so many life lessons can be learned by observing nature.
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This a beautiful. Winning is overrated for sure…coexistence is essential….While you wrote about wildlife, I am wondering if you were really thinking about the state of our world ??????
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Love your word choice, too! And even though the poem is about a heron and some mallards, it is really about SO MUCH MORE. Thanks for sharing this exquisite poem today. It brightened my afternoon and if giving me much to ponder. Coexistance. A powerful word.
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Did I just read a poem by Mary Oliver or Beth?! What incredible work. You skillfully write about a conflict with such a light and reflective tone.
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Hi Meg! You are too kind. Miss seeing you. Can’t wait to read your posts this month.
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Love me a blue heron! The wildlife you are treated to during your morning walks is magical. Can’t wait to read more posts capturing the menagerie of creatures that surround your pond.
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The wildlife imagery and life commentary are profound. Thank you for sharing your brain space with us. An exquisite slice!
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