To Remind Me of Something and Everything (Inspiration from a video by Paul Wheatley)
Black Heron, Lake Kotu, Gambia
ingenious, those feathers, layered:
lifting and spreading as a closed
circle circle circle
covering completely
your bird body head to toe.
You disappear and we are left
with an umbrella; a black umbrella
held up by a beak and two legs
with your bright yellow claws
stepping a ballet
of claws and feather spread.
Telescoping, a tuft of feathers,
at your head, a half layer,
further indicating your unusual beauty
and your trajectory
as you move around the shallows.
Some say you are your own sunshade,
a canopy as you capture a meal;
a camouflage that captivates us.
No umbrella I open would ever be
as beautiful though I might paint
handles a bright yellow
to remind me of you.
Benita H. Kape (c) 12.3.2020
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