Wild things
You’re under my skin
Calling me back
To your island convention
I’m a spy, an outsider
Armed with telephoto capability
Uninvited I stare
Insulated, from my car
A nine dollar ferry crossing- cash only
Brings me to you
Your all-you-can-eat buffet
And a taste of your wildness
Haunt. Stare. Hunt.
Like ghosts you appear out of nowhere
When the sun sinks low in the sky
In the last 90 minutes of daylight
Suddenly your round white forms are everywhere
I lose count
And try not to slide off the road and into the water
Just for now you’re resting here
On this tiny island in the ocean-lake
By the dozens- look at you all!
How can this be?
How do you know to come here
After flying over parking lots, shopping malls, forests
Who whispers of this rural feast
Dinner squeaking and rustling under the grass
How do you know
Do you hear? Do you smell?
Is it passed down from your parents
Or told through screams and flight
You’re on your way home to a place
No human has ever seen
Mysterious, barren, cold
Ellesmere, Ungava, the eternal summer sun
So today I’ll sit with you
Slow my breath
Maybe you’ll habituate to my presence
In other words, forget about me
Maybe I can watch you in your world
For a few moments
Capture it without your permission
And keep it
Hold your image
Captive
In a box of wires and light
Keep you with me forever
Wow! I love the sunset silhouette. Your poem..so real. I esp. love the line driving off into the water! I too have driven off the roads looking for “the special” shot! Funny.
Thanks, and falling in ditches, etc! pretty glamorous
Love your poem!
Thanks! I wrote a lot of it as I was anticipating going back to visit Amherst Island again
Bravo, your words, your photos – I’m there too.
So many owls!
Great Pictures!
Thanks Jean
Thank you Leslie for taking me along through your poetic and photo-friendly journey. Simply beautiful!
Thanks for coming along!
Ditto, to what Maria said. We must plan another journey together.
Yes!!!
Hey Leslie, My niece just posted this to my fb. Love the poem…and as always great photos!
Hi Nancy! Surviving the eternal winter? My favourite photo of yours from this winter was the blown ice on the park bench. c-c-c-cold!