*New Zealand Swamp Hen
In the foreground of the seaside scene
the pukeko leans down to peck at
the bare ground. Further back stands
an old colonial house, etched in ink,
delicately tinted in water colours.
A calm pale sea shimmers in the
distance beyond hardy windblown
shrubs on a grassy bank. Gnarled
trees wearing crimson flowers protect
the two storey house inside the white
picket fence beside a tidal stream
seeping over the narrow beach.
Lush arum lilies with thick green
leaves sprawl around the unheeding
bird pecking for tasty tidbits. Red
legs, beak, comb blaze against
dark blue plumage and its tail
upended, flashing a splash of white,
placid, contented, peaceful.
Previously posted December 2016.
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J > That’s quite some word-picture that you paint! The current theme on my computer is ‘New Zealand Panoramas’ or something like that – NZ anyway, and there’s one picture that corresponds to the scene you describe so poetically : except that, if there is a hen, she’s well hidden amongst the New Zealand Flax!
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Thank you very much. Pukekos could very well be foraging among NZ flax plants for grubs as our native flax plants love swamps and grow huge there.
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We call them Gallinules here in North America. Lovely poem!
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Thank you.
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Absolutely a beautiful word-picture, as mentioned in the first comment above. —CC
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Thank you very much.
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