Tag: friendship

Our Best Friends

Percy and Franklin,
I still think about you two.
May we meet again.
Talk to me Norman.
Any whisper you breathe
Makes my soul lighter.

Oh my darling George,
I'll never forget seeing
You in the preserve
Next door, (far from home to me.)
You came back with love's ascent.
Steve, what a blessing
To see you running to me
With warmest welcome.
Little striped ducky,
What is your name I wonder,
Our friend Zebra's child.
Zebra moved along
With a few of her ducklings;
We'll always love her.
Wonderful Helmet,
You most amazing mother,
Your little white head 
Reminds me of the Mama's 
Before who mothered our friends.
Edgar's soft whirring,
A duckling nipping the air:
Little things they do
That remind me of Granite.
How he loved his blueberries.

He’s Isolated

He's isolated, without friends,
And then I realize so am I.
Employment gives me my supply
Of socialization, but spends
It on itself; likewise upends
Plans with Hayden or with Chris. Lives
Provide obligations to tie
Each one of us to his own lens.

It may be truly as he grieves,
A shared act of creation must
Be made for his friendship to leave
The dungeon of his spirit's rust.
He needs saving from desuetude;
He works too hard to rest unviewed.

Franklin

It finally happened, and I
Have felt the most singular joy:
Franklin, the largest of our ducks,
And I think the father of most of them,
Ate blueberries out of my hand!

Our younger ducks are still skittish,
So I simply toss them berries;
But Franklin's courageous and comfortable,
He doesn't fear the touch of this ape.
And if ever I feared the bill of a duck,
Truth reveals that completely baseless.
Franklin is sweet beyond compare:
It feels like rounded tongs when he nibbles,
Gently tickling my palms for fruit.

And not just that, though that's sublime,
He even let me pet his breast!
He held himself with the dignity
Of a wild animal, yet serenely,
Familiarly he accepted my touch.
With the backs of my first two fingers 
I softly stroked his dappled breast.

Franklin gives his mouth a lick
And holds his head up while I pet him.
I look into his golden eyes,
At his leathery, red face,
The equal streaks of black and white
Which course atop his fluffy head
And down his neck; he's so plush!

I thank him for allowing me
To feel the soft touch of his down.
He chuffs as if to thank me in turn
For the blueberries. He is content.
What an incredible creature I'm blessed
To have as a neighbor purely by chance,
This muscovy duck Franklin!

Parting is always sorrow

Parting is always sorrow,
Fear of uncertainty,
Discontinuity.

These ducks that have made their home
Here are the most beautiful 
And precious creatures I've known.

I've depended on
These days we've shared together;
Who says it has to end?

The fears I have for the future.
Granite's adventuring,
I believe he'll return like George.

Even so, Cory 
Misses him. As do I.
Will they miss us?

Nothing ties them down,
Inspiring as it is frightening.
We're united by chance.

How could we let them know
We're leaving but will return
To visit them forever?

What compact could be made
To tie our souls to this place,
Returning after time?

I think I'll be visiting
More than twice a week.
Easing into absence.

I can't bear the idea
They might feel they've lost us
Or grieve the lack of us.

Will they start to think,
"Did they move on;"
Well, won't we have?

We've both lived in so
Many different places,
Why not animals too?

Darling Granite, we miss you.
We miss your happy laughter.
We miss your squinching eyes.

I do believe you're safe
And probably not far,
Likely with Patch or Millay.

We've become accustomed
To your familiar smile
And gentle friendliness.

You've been here the longest
Of all the ducks we know.
Your presence is joy's communion.

Always and forever
We will search for your profile
On the grass lounging serenely.

You will always be
Cherished and remembered,
You and all of our friends.

Our hearts have expanded domains
Grown from Granite; from Marble;
From milky-eyed Mama;

From Armor and from Helmet;
From the fly-by-night girls;
And from poor little Miracle.

I swoon for animals;
They understand hello,
But never know goodbye.

I think of Lefty the mallard:
Against all odds, born
With a malformed wing, he thrives.

Lefty and all our friends
Who make this place their home,
Aren't we of them too?

This place, this time, this pond
Has found us all together
In our liberty-laden lives.

I think of Franklin and Percy,
Loyalty and Norm,
Steve and Zebra and Mama;

Helmet, George, and Edgar,
All of whom had left
And yet returned again.

This is what we have chosen.
We all may come and go,
That's how I know it's love.

I know that we'll come back,
And so I do believe
Granite will too.

***

Just yesterday Millay
Came swooping down to greet us.
We instantly knew each other.

The little outline of white
Around her beady eyes;
How she ran to us;

Her single tiny squeak 
As she jumped onto the grass
All confirmed it was she.

She said hello then flew off.
I'd bet she's seen Granite.

Talking with Muscovies

Muscovies are delightful companions.
When I approach they hum and purr 
And vibrate like little engines 
Cooling, then settling down.

When my muscovies are enthused,
(They're not my muscovies,
But I'm their person,)
They pant aloud as if laughing.

Norm is a conversationalist;
He'll announce himself even when hidden.
George and Percy sneeze their greetings
Softly, while father Franklin snorts hello.

Steve and his girl, Zebra, are quiet,
But he'll nod and puff, she'll sweetly coo.
Brothers Edgar and Loyalty
Hype each other up with chants.

Patch squeaks and Mama gently trills,
As do Millay and nested Helmet;
And when he's surrounded by friends,
Granite erupts in exuberant laughter.