Sunrise absent
darkest damp instead.
Steady drizzle chills
steel-toe grey clouds above.
Burrowing owl stands alone
hoot-silent, alert.
Sharp eyes search
near barren treeless ground.
Hungry, ready to sprint should mole appear.
Return to earth-dug warren,
mimic rattler’s tail
should coyote rush to kill.
Written for dVerse, the virtual pub for poets around the globe. Today is Quadrille Monday and De is tending the pub. She asks us to include the word “hoot” in the body our poem of exactly 44 words, sans title.
Photo of this burrowing owl was taken last week at the Living Coast Discovery Center in Chula Vista, CA. The burrowing owl is a small, primarily terrestrial owl. Generally about 9 inches tall, they have a short tail and long legs. They eat large insects and small rodents. They nest in burrows, often repurposing a burrow or tunnel abandoned by other animals. They are known to mimic the sounds of a rattlesnake to ward off predators such as coyotes and badgers.
lillian the home poet 
Oh, gosh. I love this so much:
“steel-toe grey clouds”
and that “hoot-silent.” Perfect.
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Glad you enjoyed! It was amazing to see this small owl….and I was able to put my camera’s aperture between the fence “holes” to get the photo….it sat nice and still for me!
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What a nice little bird… I don’t think we have it in Europe.
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Don’t know if it’s appropriate to call a bird or owl “sweet” — anthropomorphizing (sp?) it….but it sure was!
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hoot-silent, how descriptive!
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I didn’t know owls could mimic a rattler’s tail! This is why I write poetry, to learn at least one new thing a day.
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Cute little critter that somehow manages to survive, despite the harsh environment. Glad you chose to highlight a hooter, Lillian.
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Very-well described, and so interesting too..
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Want to see the bird and hear it mimic a rattlesnake’s sound.
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I love your burrowing owl, Lill, and the image that accompanies your quadrille. But oh, those ‘steel-toe grey clouds above’, ready to kick us into touch, and the thought of it ‘ready to sprint should mole appear’ – in our garden owls feed on moles.
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Lillian, this piece has such a quiet intensity. The imagery of the owl and the bleak landscape really pulls me in.
Much love,
David
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That is such an evocative way to introduce us to the Burrowing Owl. Thank you for the poem and the learning.
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This is lovely, Lillian. I really enjoyed this poem.
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Wonderful the way your photo was so perfect for the prompt word, Lill. I really like your hyphenated words, especially “steel-toe grey clouds”.
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How cute, Lil — I learned something new with this Q!
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