Happy Poetry Friday!
Thanks to all the Poetry Sister’s for their February poetry challenge to write an epistle poem. Do stop by their sites to see where they’ve taken this prompt: Tanita, Laura, Mary Lee, Liz, Sara, Tricia, Kelly, and Andi. Find more poems from this prompt tagged with #PoetryPals.
I meandered on over to a feathered friend who keeps me company almost daily, our house sparrows.
Ah Dear House Sparrow,
My fondness for you lingers on…
Despite your being brushed aside
as an undervalued bird,
and often heard derogatory words
whenever your name occurs.
Your lilting song-lifts my mood all through the year
Your emotive-head-movements always capture my eye
Your fluffy feathers and rounded chest express pure joy
Your entire presence fills me with doting delight.
Perhaps if you take wing for a wee spell,
folks will wonder where you are,
and where you’ve gone.
Perhaps their small hearts will grow
a weee bit larger, and your absence
will heavily weigh on their
dull-drum ordinary day.
I’ll continue to cheer you on
regardless of your under recognition,
and remain your humble admirer.
With loving sincerity,
Your Forever-friend till the end
© 2024 Michelle Kogan, draft
As I have a growing plethora of sparrows in my online Etsy Shop, I thought I’d share a few…
Here are: 3 Spring Birds, Gift Cards available in my Etsy Shop.
And this dashing Sparrow Spread Wings, set of 3 Bookmarks are also available in my Etsy Shop.
A henslow’s sparrow is featured on the top left, along with a meadow lark, and short-eared owl in my print Wildlife Comes to Lake Shore Drive. This image is also available as a bookmark.
And one more backyard sparrow in my print, Sparrow and First Narcissus of Spring.
So many sparrows (and birds) fly into my Etsy Shop, watch out for the feathers if you stop by…
And a note to my regular Poetry Friday poet friends…
My apologies for missing many of your posts this month, I’ve been participating in Laura Shovan’s 12th Annual February Poetry Project–where poets share a daily prompt to write on, along with teaching and all else, and every once in a while something has to give… Looking forward to revisiting your sites very soon, and hopefully more this weekend!
The talented author and poet, Tabatha Yeatts at her blog The Opposite of Indifference, is hosting this week’s Poetry Friday Roundup, thanks Tabatha! She’s offering a poem woven from the tale of Scheherazade, and you won’t want to miss it, be sure to stop by!
A fluffy one…
Michelle Kogan Illustration, Painting, & Writing 
Such delightful bird friends in your work! I love your celebration and gratitude toward your sparrow friends in your poem. To think some would think they are pests!
I have so missed Laura’s ‘birthday bash’, Michelle, just too much going on this month, know you have had a great time. Your love for those wee sparrows shines through with all their attributes in your poem, “the lilting song/emotive head movements” along with the art. Clearly, it’s a love fest of sparrows! I love the way they hop around, seeming so curious. Thanks!
Appreciating the underappreciated, what a lovely focus for your letter! We ran into some people the other day who were complaining that trees in front of their house made a mess with seeds falling, and they hadn’t looked up to notice that the trees were full of cedar waxwings! Sometimes the mess has a function. Everyone needs admirers 🙂
looking forward to the epistles. The Nevermores wrote to a similar prompt this week -though I didn’t post mine 😊 Yours is inspirational -so musical in the w’s 😊
Love the epistolary form and your avian wonders! I agree that house sparrows are undervalued. I think they’re very pleased to be addressed today! 🙂
The smallest birds I find the most delightful sometimes – faithful house sparrows don’t leave during the dull, cold, and wet winter days. I’m always glad to welcome back the others, but I love these little guys, too.
I love the sparrows also, Michelle, and I’m very fond of your sparrow and first narcissus. Actually, most any bird is amazing to me. The epistle form is a good one for me to try. Thanks for sharing it all, a lovely post!
A lovely letter to your sparrow–and beautiful sparrow note cards!
This poem needs to be tucked into packages of your cards. Such an ordinary little bird is such a big friend to you. It’s very, very sweet.
So sweet–your words and your beautiful art! Last year I wrote a poem called “The Sparrows of Springfield” and it was about these house sparrows that live in the crooks of the letters of the shopping mall signs.
Your beautiful paintings pair perfectly with your poem!
This is delightful, Michelle. I especially love the part about advising the sparrow to disappear for a bit to make people notice. That is so true and so sad, isn’t it? I extra love the sounds in that stanza, too.
I’m with you in your sparrow-love. On winter morning walks, there’s a big bush that gets lots of morning sun, and it is always ALIVE with sparrow chatter when I walk past!
I, too, am a ‘humble admirer’ of these wee feathered friends, Michelle. And a HUGE admirer of your art. 🙂