Summer Sojourners, Winter Emigres
One year our Greek garden filled briefly with wrens, and another year with robins – probably on their migratory path from Africa to Europe. I was thinking about the way these birds like us moved from country to country with the seasons, and I wrote a poem called Sojourners.
Birds in the birdbath (taken through the kitchen window)
Sojourners
After journeying
The swifts in May and the Tits in June,
Stop on the island.
Following the sun to our garden.
Just for a while,
Up in the sky and down on the ground,
They swoop for insects,
Improving our beautiful garden
Sojourners all
We come for the warmth of Europe in spring,
Cutting and pruning
Shaping the plants in our garden.
Voyaging again,
When the winds blow, like birds in autumn
We fly to south,
Saying goodbye to the garden.
In autumn we watch the clouds gather
(no clouds all summer!)
Clouds add to the spectacle of sunset (especially the clouds over Mount Athos)
And then we lock the gates and close the doors and leave once more for Australia.
A Book of Greek Poetry I've enjoyed
Greece in Poetry, edited by Simoni Zafiropoulos (Harry N. Abrams. Inc., 1993). Seeing a country through its poet’s eyes gives yet another dimension to its history. This book has a delightful collection of ancient and modern Greek poetry, each poem illustrated with artwork that spans the rich visual history of Greece.
One year our Greek garden filled briefly with wrens, and another year with robins – probably on their migratory path from Africa to Europe. I was thinking about the way these birds like us moved from country to country with the seasons, and I wrote a poem called Sojourners.
Birds in the birdbath (taken through the kitchen window)
Sojourners
After journeying
The swifts in May and the Tits in June,
Stop on the island.
Following the sun to our garden.
Just for a while,
Up in the sky and down on the ground,
They swoop for insects,
Improving our beautiful garden
Sojourners all
We come for the warmth of Europe in spring,
Cutting and pruning
Shaping the plants in our garden.
Voyaging again,
When the winds blow, like birds in autumn
We fly to south,
Saying goodbye to the garden.
In autumn we watch the clouds gather
(no clouds all summer!)
Clouds add to the spectacle of sunset (especially the clouds over Mount Athos)
And then we lock the gates and close the doors and leave once more for Australia.
A Book of Greek Poetry I've enjoyed
Greece in Poetry, edited by Simoni Zafiropoulos (Harry N. Abrams. Inc., 1993). Seeing a country through its poet’s eyes gives yet another dimension to its history. This book has a delightful collection of ancient and modern Greek poetry, each poem illustrated with artwork that spans the rich visual history of Greece.
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