Happy Poetry Friday!
Last week the new named Poetry Group, the Inklings, including Margaret Simon, Catherine Flynn, Linda Mitchell, Heidi Mordhorst, Molly Hogan, and Mary Lee Hahn, challenged themselves to write ghazal’s for their monthly prompt. Well, I’ve written at least one, maybe two, but was having such a grand time with the Inkling’s ghazals, I thought I’d try another one. Mine this week is influenced by all the feathered friend visitors I’ve had noshing away at my 9′ + sunflower plants.
WINGED HARVEST-EATING
Three pretty birdies sunflower seed-eating
all native Chicagoan’s practice speed-eating.
Newbie blue-bodied-birdie catches my eye,
her black and white head busily exceed-eating.
Skittish as can be but tied to their task,
give’m lots of space for pre-winter-need-eating.
We three birdies mostly diligent to a T,
may fill our bellies till they might impede-eating.
Lucky me, how extraordinary to see,
chickadee, nuthatch, and finch indeed-eating!
© 2021 Michelle Kogan
I also referred to tweetspeak’s post on writing Ghazal’s.
P.S. Hope you can catch a glimpse of a nuthatch walking, hanging upside down, they’re quite the trapeze artists…
Here’s some info on feeding birds from our lovely Chicago Botanic Garden.
Tricia Stohr-Hunt at her bog The Miss Rumphius Effect is our host for this week’s Poetry Friday Roundup, thanks for hosting Tricia, be sure to stop by her post!
Michelle Kogan Illustration, Painting, & Writing 
Hands down, my favourite line has to be speed eating! I love it! And how lovely indeed to be surrounded by need-seed-eaters. Hoping they continue to visit, Michelle. 🙂
My hands down favorite has to be exceed eating. Wow! Look at you with a ghazal that look effortless. I’m impressed. And right from the word birdie there’s a lightness to your poem that makes it fun and whimsical which allows for those fun internal rhymes. You took the challenge to new heights! I don’t think I’ve seen a nuthatch in the wild. I’m going to have to keep my eyes open-er. See what you’ve done to me…I’m all ready for word play!
Thanks Linda, and I enjoyed your ghazal’s flight of evening fancy so much! Birdies came in and out but begged to stay…
Well, I don’t have sunflowers, but those chickadees here are “speed-eating” at my feeder, which I just filled two days ago & now it’s down a third! I love those “eating” endings, Michelle, the perfect word for them!
Those sunflowers are astonishing and so is your Ghazal. I’m very impressed. Last week I tried to wrap my head around the form and failed but want to try again. Thanks for the link to tweatspeak.
Well played! I love your hyphenated rhymes! SO creative! I’m going to have to try growing some giant sunflowers next summer so I can provide a living bird feeder!
I am impressed by everyone who has written a ghazal. It seem such an intimidating form, but reading your poem makes it seem deceptively easy. Such wonderful creative rhyming phrases. Thanks for sharing this today!
Thank you for the mentor ghazal text. I am serious thinking about planting sunflowers next spring. I love them so. Good bird food.
Michelle your poem has me all a twitter. The frenzied feeding of your bird visitors is expertly capture in the rhythm and rhyme floating through your poem. The accompanying images further evidence of your sunny situation.
Like Linda, I’m impressed. We all struggled with the challenge and you made it look effortless. Love the bird imagery and those end rhymes, “indeed-eating!”
Indeed your birds are interested in eating your delicacies, Michelle. Thanks for the fun look at what the birds do. Yesterday, for the first time I watched a hummingbird flutter around my neighbor’s feeder. Wow! What an experience.
Love! What a great post! Ruth, thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com