It is probably down to David Attenborough and the BBC wildlife documentaries he produced. I was chatting on the Local Link bus on Saturday to an elderly lady. (Who am I kidding; I am eligible for the free bus pass in three years!) Any road, she’s a fan and she shared little titbits of animal behaviour that had caught her fancy. The examples surely made animals relatable and more like us humans (or the reverse). Which pretty much defines zoomorphism.
I am having a slow morning. The weather has changed. I woke with a “logey” head, a low grade headache that makes me feel very draggy. It has taken two cups of Earl Grey to get the poetry engine to start. And on days like today, I find senryu comforting. So – a series of zoomorphic senryu for poetry practice this morning. Senryu is like haiku, in that is only seventeen syllables. It explores behaviour- usually human foibles – whereas haiku concentrates on the cosmic quality of nature.
Unbroken chain
Signals danger’s alert
Badgers asleep
Holding paws
Barren Aunt Meercat
Gets to be nursery maid
Nature’s stop gap.
Penguins are not shy
They let themselves
Love and mate as they like
Poor Peg!
The mourning grace
The loss of lifetime mate
Solitary swan
Sleep, eat, watch, wait
The patience of an old dog
Stalwart company
Feral feline
So decisive of desire
Unflinching focus
Copyright 2019 Bee Smith
Featured photo is of the wild cat who eventually came in from the cold and onto my lap.
