Great Blue Herons
are a very familiar shore bird
where I live.
They perch on fishing piers
and fish in the marshes.
They wade along shorelines
and nest in tall pine trees.
They fly overhead
with a startling, raucous cry.
They are as beautiful and strange
as they are familiar.
In recent weeks
I have found myself beguiled
by a particularly dashing bird.
Coy and seductive,
ready to pose for as long as I aim my camera…
Of course I am entranced.
In the morning –
turning just so in the bright-lit water –
he casts a shadow
on his handsome feathered back.
In the evening
he leads me among the pier posts,
shows me his mirrored image.
He fills my mind
and causes my heart to linger
in heron-land.
No wonder I danced with him
on the surface of my most recent pot.
No wonder I shamelessly lounged
in the marshes he frequents…
kicking my legs in the air
and basking in his presence.
No wonder I celebrate my love
for the constant bird
by bringing my heart to my art.
A Dance of Balance 