01. July 2017

THREE - HERONS

GREAT BLUE HERON

 

 

 My first two blog posts featured William Rose Benet as the guest poet, and I knew I had one more of his poems that I wanted to share on a future post. But, I decided that now was as good a time as any to finish sharing my favorite three poems of one of my favorite poets. Please...indulge me! 

 

 

 SO REGAL!

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HOME

 

My wife and I lived for twenty years on the third/top floor of a beautiful Queen Anne style house, circa 1898 in Melrose. We had a nice open porch north side, and also a covered porch south side which overlooked a very serene and private flower garden and yard. 

GARDEN

 

One evening just before sunset we were sitting enjoying this tranquil scene when we heard a strange noise to our left from the roof. We looked and were astonished to see a great blue heron perched on an old television antenna, only about five feet from us! We enjoyed watching this very majestic bird for several minutes. He was so busy taking in the view of the garden and yard that he didn't seem to even notice us. He soon spread those amazing wings, lifted off and flew in the direction of nearby Ell Pond probably to overnight and rest.

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I also remember another encounter we had with a heron. One summer a few years ago my wife and I drove practically every weekend to one our favorite places to go...Concord, Massachusetts. When we would be at the North Bridge, it seemed like every time we would see from the bridge a great blue heron in the shallows of the river behind the Old Manse.

 

 Old North Bridge, Concord, Massachusetts, July 2005.JPG

 NORTH BRIDGE

 

It was a truly amazing sight to watch this beautiful bird patiently wading and fishing along the shoreline of the Concord River. It seemed obvious that he had staked this area out as his personal feeding ground. We really missed seeing our friend...after he had moved on!

 

 

BILL CARAWAN  

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HERONS

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 So, William Rose Benet was the author of the poem "The Skater Of Ghost Lake" which was the featured poem of my first post, and also the author of the poem "Kites" for my second post. He is also the author of this poem, "The Falconer Of God" which I am delighted to feature on this third post.

 

I consider it a very metaphysical and thought provoking poem. To me the heron represents all of the things the world promises to deliver, mainly fame and fortune! If attained, these include all they bring with them or that can be bought! The falcon represents to me the human will which wants all of these things...at any cost! This poem then illustrates to me that if these things are attained from a wrong motive they become:

 

Nay! but a piteous freight,

A dark and heavy weight

 

Sadly, the last two verses of this poem illustrate...a lesson not learned! And therefore...an unending quest!

 

This is my take on the poem...now, let's see what your take is!

 

 

                  The Falconer of God

 

                                            William Rose Benét

                                                         (1886–1950)

 

 

 

 

 

 

                I FLUNG my soul to the air like a falcon flying.

               I said, “Wait on, wait on, while I ride below!

               I shall start a heron soon

               In the marsh beneath the moon—

               A strange white heron rising with silver on its wings,

        

                       Rising and crying

                       Wordless, wondrous things;

               The secret of the stars, of the world’s heart-strings,

                       The answer to their woe.

               Then stoop thou upon him, and grip and hold him so!”

        

 

 

                   My wild soul waited on as falcons hover.

                I beat the reedy fens as I trampled past.

                I heard the mournful loon

                In the marsh beneath the moon.

                And then—with feathery thunder

                       the bird of my desire

        

                       Broke from the cover

                       Flashing silver fire.

               High up among the stars I saw his pinions spire.

               The pale clouds gazed aghast

               As my falcon stoopt upon him,

                       and gript and held him fast.

        

 

 

                My soul dropt through the air

                        —with heavenly plunder?—

              Gripping the dazzling bird my dreaming knew?

                       Nay! but a piteous freight,

                        A dark and heavy weight

               Despoiled of silver plumage,

                        its voice forever stilled,—

        

               All of the wonder

               Gone that ever filled

               Its guise with glory. Oh, bird that I have killed,

                         How brilliantly you flew

               Across my rapturous vision

                         when first I dreamed of you!

        

 

 

                  Yet I fling my soul on high with new endeavor,

                And I ride the world below with a joyful mind.

                           I shall start a heron soon

                           In the marsh beneath the moon—

                A wondrous silver heron

                             its inner darkness fledges!

       

                           I beat forever

                           The fens and the sedges.

                 The pledge is still the same

                            —for all disastrous pledges,

                All hopes resigned!

                My soul still flies above me

                            for the quarry it shall find.

        

 

 

 

BENET

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"A strange white heron rising

with silver on its wings,"

  "A wondrous silver heron..."

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BEAUTIFUL WINGS

SOARING!

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Published by

WORDS OF WILLIAM™

 

©2017

     William F. Carawan

      "Poetry Guy"

 

All rights reserved

Boston, Massachusetts U.S.A.

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COMMENT SECTION

 

I interviewed and hired a blue cow (see picture below) with a one of a kind attitude! Her name is Sally, although she says "sassy" is what most people call her...and I can understand why.

 

She recently arrived in the USA from a very tiny country called Kows'r'blu. In fact it is so tiny...that no one seems to know where it is located. Sally says its' one claim to fame is a small population (or herd) of blue cows which are not found anywhere else in the world. She says that makes her very rare and special! And I might add...seems to be the main cause of her attitude.

 

Sally has agreed to manage the "Comment Section" of my blog. She will get paid by commission based strictly on the tally of comments for that months' blog post. She seems to think that her attitude will be a big help in reaching that goal. And I can only imagine that it certainly will. 

 

AFTER LEAVING A COMMENT BELOW

SCROLL TO TOP AND DOUBLE-CLICK BLOG BUTTON AGAIN

TO READ NEXT BLOG POST

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This is your opportunity!

 

So, why don't you leave a comment?

 

I would love to know what you think.

 

Don't be shy...moooove me!

Write a comment

Comments: 1
  • #1

    Shelley (Tuesday, 04 July 2017 12:37)

    P.S.A. < You know, a Public Service Announcement >
    ATTENTION: This is an Announcement to the Public; do yourselves a Service, post comments!!
    Writing a comment, or two, is normally painless and can be fun. It is an opportunity to be part of
    the whole experience...if finding yourselves on 'the w.w.w.' of the poetry guy's site then jump in and leave a comment. You know you love the poems, the pictures, the personal tidbits; the whole shebang is worth moving your fingers to create your thought regarding the site...these blank spaces
    are waiting for letters to adorn them forming what is commonly called sentences and then those sentences can be arranged to form the comment of your choice! Excellent idea, don't you think?
    I actually have a crystal ball so I know many of you are tuning in this site but dare to take it further and drop a comment. Try it, you will like it, you will want to comment again and again but don't get carried away with it, use restraint when possible. "Public" please remember I have been hired to use my blue Sass to manage the comment section for my boss and I work on COMMISSION...
    ...zero comments don't add much to my bank account! I have bills to pay and rent is due soon!!
    ...and I have baby blue twins to support!!! <well, maybe not but that is another story>
    Take the plunge and comment...start with one letter then add another till a sentence appears then you can arrange the sentences into a comment that you can send to my boss, others can read it also. ... I majored in 'P.S.A.' in blue-cow-college so I want to show off my degree, COMMENT!!!
    Thank you public reading audience from the Sassy blue cow ... This has been a P.S.A.
    ...PS...even tho I work for the boss he allows me to be me...so now I will be me and say how much I love his whole site. Whether a short story or a cluster of poems or a personal insert it is a true gem and a pleasure to pull up on my computer and get lost in for a while; the photo inserts add embellishment visually but if one thinks about it the whole site forms a vision written for each reader to 'see' and make personally his own. Words carry great power to enchant us as we allow. Leaving a comment is my way of saying thanks to the creator of the site...it can be your avenue also. Say thanks via your own comment but if not today enjoy the site anyway!!
    < another ps...my rent is due soon plus I am going hungry...just saying!! >
    Goodbye for now...