Slipway

(Observations)

here
where little egrets wade by day
where plovers peck at weed
and gulls parade on cobbled stones
wetted by tide’s glisten

swans gracefully glide
as black water rises
to a gentle lap lap lap

town clock strikes twelve
midnight sleeps
echoes carried on time passing
amber street lamps flicker

old man pauses
hands clutching stale bread
pieces torn and thrown
bit by bit
reach salt water surface

watch the commotion
hear the noise of gull chicks
screeching greedy
ear shattering cacophony
a free for all din
in a mass of wing flap
hovering

see white feathers ruffled
angry
to converge within seconds
for late night bother
all manners lost in the
feasting

survival mentality
how very human

Reviews

[charlie]

a compelling piece of nature poetry, rich in imagery, sound... it's like a moment of reflection on both the natural world and human behavior.
Nice capture 👌

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you so much Charlie. Lovely to have a visit from you.

Chris

[MrBlack202]

Vivid imagery expertly used in every stanza. With onometopeia used, making it more interesting to read

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts. I appreciate you.

Chris

[Re-Pete]

wow. so powerful, vivid and telling. as the good book says, "they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father keeps feeding them." alfred hitchcock and his birds have nothing on you. nice work chris.

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you Pete. Now that was a film I remember well . The monochrome made it more scary. I appreciate your review.

Chris

[Betty Hermelee]

so many beautiful lines Chris; and so meaningful….we all know about survival of the fittest and you show us how the seabirds fight for their food…and you also portray the the village in great detail, vivid images, as you always do…
Warmly, B🌷

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you Betty, thank you kindly for your warm review. This was a scene from a recent holiday. A beautiful fishing town on our west coast. A source of inspiration for poetry.

Chris

[Betty Hermelee]

definitely inspiring ; always a pleasure aChris to read your work
warmly, B🌷🌷🌷

[Gee]

This brings to mind images of food relief lorries arriving in war torn or disaster areas, folk losing all sense of decency, self control, grabbing, pushing , desperate for their share.
Also paints a pretty picture of a seaside town harbour.
Hope you are well Christine

[Chris Shaw]

Hello Gee. Thanks for stopping by. I really appreciate where you went with this poem. You travelled in two different directions all together. I think Brixham is more peaceful. Have yourself a lovely weekend my friend and keep warm. It’s cold outside.

[Ken Simm.]

Such a pastorale to start with then a certain amount of social realism thrown in. An excellent smooth job.

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you so much Ken. All the best.

[mae]

I love the idea of the poem, almost like you're walking along the street. ugh and that word, cacophony. I love to see it get used, it's very helpful for imagery. I felt this poem connect with me, like a sense of anemoia.
great work. -mabel

[Chris Shaw]

Dear Mabel
thank you so much fir your thoughts. Pleased you felt a connection with this place in my poem. You taught this oldie a new word today. anêmoia. Bless you my friend.

[Chris Shaw]

Oops sorry re typos. Small screen on my phone.

[Aarti Sriram]

The animal instincts of the gulls mirror the same survival instincts in us humans, very creatively you reflect on human behaviours dear @Chris. In moments of scarcity or hunger, we can be as reckless, as untamed, as these birds fighting for the bread in your poem. Vivid imagery and almost tactile where you wrote "wet tide’s glisten. You poetically blend the natural world with our similar human tendencies. Enjoyed your share.

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you so much for your thoughtful review Aarti. Pleased you stopped by to review my poem and liked what you read. All the best.

[Joli Dy]

Visceral. You transported me right into this feathered din, then handed me a mirror.

[Chris Shaw]

Many thanks for stopping by and leaving your thoughts. I found what you said interesting.

[Chris Shaw]

When you held that mirror up I would like to have seen the expression on your face.

[Davidgeo]

Cacophony is a fantastic word, I love to see it used.

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you. It’s a good word, I like it too.