Migrating

Migrating

Flying high in 'Vee' formation

Swapping lead every yard

Like a cycling peloton

Chasing down breakaways

They keep up the pressure

The pace never falters

 

Hear them calling

Cackling away

Saying to each other

C'mon lads keep it going

Their wings must be aching

Flapping like that

 

Stragglers are falling back

Unable to keep pace

They join new formations

Off pace at the rear

May be loose direction they fear

 

What makes them hasten so much

They are on their way home

In the north they will breed 

Reviews

[Coyote Poetry]

I love to see the birds returning. This year, they left Michigan late. They knew a Indian Summer. It is snowy and cold in Michigan. Hello dear friend. I liked how you described the journey to their Summer home. Thank you for sharing the outstanding poetry.
Coyote

[Wild Rose]

Not so good this year.
Many are returning with bird flue and spreading it around the farms read moreNot so good this year.
Many are returning with bird flue and spreading it around the farms
This was written earlier in a better year

Just reading about a program next week about the losses the tear we married (1963)

[Coyote Poetry]

That isn't good dear Wild Rose.

[Wild Rose]

Just reading about a program on tv Thursday
1963 Jan (the year we married) we had 10 weeks of zero degrees (-20 min) all bird life was lost)

I used to put a blanket under the bonnet of my van and inserted the starting handle - remove the blanket - turn the engine - turn the ignition on - used stating hand to fire the engine Pepoles batteries were just packing up lick kids catch measles

[Writergurl]

I love birds as well, I have about 5 bird houses in my yard, I get all sorts of birds, and well a couple squirrel's that keep eating my bird food. Nicely written write

[Wild Rose]

We have Red Squirrels in the National Park (The English 'Lake District') ten miles away > We don't get them in our garden But we have a wide variety of birds. The garden is enclosed with tall(ish) thick(ish) hedges, which make great places for nests

[Unspoken poet]

I love this birds, here where I live if you dare hit a goose, you will be in trouble with the law.
I enjoyed this write, nicely written and said

[Wild Rose]

Thank you for the comment.
I think you would be in trouble with the law here
Acros the river (The Solway Firth) are several nature reserves
Also inland from here are several lakes, where the birds come for winter

[Ken Simm.]

Classic write. I love birds and have been an ornithologist for most of my life. This, therefore speaks to me on many levels and not just the natual ones. There is also something so evocative about a v of flying geese.

[Wild Rose]

So you will have watched them with binoculars. The lead changing regularly
I liken it to a peloton of racing cyclists (Well I have done that)

[Ken Simm.]

Yep, done that often. The skeins also regularly land in the field in front of my house in the Scottish Highlands, Greylag, pinkfoot are regular visitors with the occasional Barnacle blown in from the islands. And regular Whoopers landing on the loch behind my house. There are some there now.
Also listening to them flying over on a still night is wonderfully evocative.

[Betty Hermelee]

They hastening to get their comfortable place to breed; eventually they all be their cozy nest… migration of birds is a beautiful thing to watch, so graceful, so proud…..
Nice piece…
Best
Betty

[Wild Rose]

Like we dash home on a Friday night
Iceland, Svalbard, Longyearbyen

[Betty Hermelee]

Sorry for my poor spelling, yeah really! You’re welcome

[Wild Rose]

I never saw any poor spelling Betty

[Lisasview]

Hope they loose their way to here!! We have so few birds in Costa Blanca north, Spain... In america we had loads and loads of them..This I do miss..
Nice read..
Lisa

[Wild Rose]

Costa Blanca is that Alicanta area?
We have travelled through their to Camping Mar Menor we only saw sea birds there

Not so many are going to make it this year
As they fly north they are leaving the bird flu behind; which they say, came from N. Africa.

[Lisasview]

We are about 1 hour north if Alicante
Not many birds here
This we miss..

[Wild Rose]

We have spent three winters in Spain/ Portugal in our camper van Feb to April
then decided that the travel in winter weather (in the northern countries was too much > On our las t trip we were fst on site because of gales and deep snow on the border into France
Now after cicd we are staying in UK

[Lisasview]

We are from California
Been here just over a year and do not plan to go back...
Lisa

[Wild Rose]

We retired in 2000 & bought a camper van
And travelled around Europe
Our last long trip was to Iceland for 6 weeks

[Lisasview]

Wow...
we also had a camper.. mainly went into Mexico...
Iceland is a country we have not been to yet...
When all this COVID stuff is under control we will go back to traveling..
L

[Gee]

The Spanish shoot and eat most things with wings :)

[Cyprian Van Dyke]

This is a really nice nature poem. Being a bird and flying like that would be so much more fun than doing it in an airplane. You really capture the first-person perspective in this lovely writing. tyfs

[Wild Rose]

Thank you Van DykYes I often wish that I could fly like a bird.
The nearest would be to own a drone to capture images for us.
My writing style? I use to teach industrial instrumentation, mainly how the various measuring instruments worked.

[Einstein Noodle]

mmmmmm the geese .. both coming and going are mystical aren't they .. your poem has a haiku feel to it for me .. simple nature .. hidden meanings to be gleaned for an ear that listens ... I live just off the flyway in AR and last week saw one lone goose, flying low, ... headed North .. i marveled at his aloneness and wondered the what why and where of his separation .. and then he was gone .. thanks for sharing Wild One
E.

[Wild Rose]

The 'Lone Goose' There could be a story there
We live on the flight path. Also there are several lakes and (let's call them service areas) where they stop to rest and feed (some stat all winter) we see them changing lakes - as if going to see their family
actually moving from a windy area to a slightly warmer one