Tuesday Poem: "The Wait" by Barbara Strang
Over the channel
this morning
you can see them
the godwits on the spit
in a wiry huddle
like greyhounds in waiting.
kuaka eastern bar-tailed godwit
The sand is high this year
the sun needling the fog
as they wait
for a signal,
the days to draw in
the constellations
to configure.
The commonest of the migratory arctic waders
The moa, giant eagle,
you outlasted them,
you saw a nameless river
sweeping by basalt cliffs
and the first men
swinging through the channel
in a long canoe.
Then tall vessels
and small, you saw
their shrouds shiver in the wind
you saw them cross the bar,
heard the retort of axe
and scream of fire.
Flocks often fly in long lines or chevrons, emitting
a clear excited kew-kew
Over the channel
this morning
you can see them
like arrows
aiming
for the sun.
.
(c) Barbara Strang
~ published in The Corrosion Zone, HeadworX, 2011
Reproduced here by permission.
—
On September 20 I featured, Indigo, another poem from The Corrosion Zone, here, and discussed how much I had enjoyed the collection.
I am featuring The Wait today for several reasons. One is that there are so many fine poems in The Corrosion Zone that I am pleased to have the opportunity to share my enjoyment of them with blog readers. And The Wait is a very fine poem, capturing Barbara's unique eye for detailed observation of and interest in the natural world. It also captures what I believe to be two of the themes of The Corrosion Zone as a collection, which are transition and continuity—in this case, both geographic and temporal.
Another reason that I have asked Barbara's permission to feature The Wait today is because tomorrow The Corrosion Zone is to enjoy its long awaited, but earthquake deferred, launch—and as I said in Sunday's post, I am delighted to have been asked by Barbara to officially launch the book.
For those of you who can make it along, the event will start 5.30 pm at the Christchurch Polytechnic Students' Association venue at 5 Madras Street, on the Christchurch Polytechnic campus.
The launch will be followed by the CPC event with Bill Manhire, Steve Thomas, and Dina Durrer (with $5 entry for this event; Barbara's book launch is free.)
—
To read the featured poem on the Tuesday Poem Hub and other great poems from fellow Tuesday poets around the world, click here or on the Quill icon in the sidebar.
The Wait
Over the channel
this morning
you can see them
the godwits on the spit
in a wiry huddle
like greyhounds in waiting.
kuaka eastern bar-tailed godwit
The sand is high this year
the sun needling the fog
as they wait
for a signal,
the days to draw in
the constellations
to configure.
The commonest of the migratory arctic waders
The moa, giant eagle,
you outlasted them,
you saw a nameless river
sweeping by basalt cliffs
and the first men
swinging through the channel
in a long canoe.
Then tall vessels
and small, you saw
their shrouds shiver in the wind
you saw them cross the bar,
heard the retort of axe
and scream of fire.
Flocks often fly in long lines or chevrons, emitting
a clear excited kew-kew
Over the channel
this morning
you can see them
like arrows
aiming
for the sun.
