Parable about finding our place in life and trying to create balance.  Rhyming a poem in an unusual way.  How you can help in conservation of this magnificent bird the Great Blue Heron and awesome photos.

Rhyme, where? The challenge here was rhyme inherent within the meaning of the words and their relationship to each other, not in the word endings at the end of a line. Also, there is rhyme within the language as you read it silently along with the rhythm of it spoken out loud. The descriptive words were chosen to stand alone individually as word pictures, stringing together into a word photo album.

Online writing always admonishes not to use adjectives, especially when writing poetry. Where do they come up with these silly rules? A descriptive word can hold a world of meaning in its tiny grasp, lighting the way for the rest of the reading journey. The idea for the rule is that descriptives slow down the ability to scan read. True. The next question you have to ask, “Why do you want to only live on the shallowest surface of life?” There are more - and richer - shades of meaning to gather!

Rhyme that is rarely discussed or considered in writing, can also be all about the language of higher thought. Higher thought is much likened to listening to a piece of music. You hear the melody, harmony, bass line and lyrics simultaneously rather than the task of picking out each note and viewing it separately. This poem is similar. You hear the beat of the words strung together, the breathing of meaning in between the words, the meaning of each word, all as they come together to create yet another meaning in symphony!

Because of the way this poem is constructed it will soak in over time and then you will have your forehead-thumping “I could have had a V-8!” juice drink moment. I dearly love it when it happens to me and I wanted to share the fun with you.

Spiritual awareness is like that; it does not come in a few moments or a day. It is easy for the mind to understand the surface subject such as a scene from Nature illustrated in this poem.

I spent a couple of hours in the early summer morning observing this huge Blue Heron trying to perch on the very new green tips of a branch far too slight to support his weight. Yet he was determined to force the issue and find his balance. It was an amazing scene to view his struggle, his determination and finally his victory. He was so pleased with himself too!

Just give the poem some time to soak down to your deepest levels and you will be well pleased with what you derive of your own version of this universal theme of balance. Give this type of writing exercise a try for a subject you enjoy!

So often when people pray they ask for a sign from God. Did you know that the sighting of a Blue Heron is known symbolically as change is coming into your life? Embrace change!

Try to be emotionally and mentally flexible in order to avoid serious health problems whose root causes are often the result of rigidity on a spiritual level, refusing to embrace a newly introduced spiritual principle into our lives. For centuries, religions have always taught fear of "being a bad person" when what they should be teaching is learning to be more flexible, following the Spirit of God as easily as the birds fly in the wind. Success comes more readily to those who are flexible, adapting to change.

Opening wide, wide generous expanding unfolding, unhurried wings

Lifting, boosting bulky body high, high, highest, gradual soaring jump!

Flapping misty soft blue feathers, gray slide and dive swoop

Touched lovingly humid beginning July morn, fanning out, pounce

Pearled smoking round lake awakened lazy beneath Louisiana sky

Dawdling wings, tall crane-necked, rapid stutter, deep low cawing crow

Whispering wings sweep floating detritus dust a twirl

Beckoned wealthy promising huge oak tree, melodiously sighed

Alighted unbounded treetop, graceful majestic massive Blue Heron

Decided not immense strong crook, ignoring rotund serious branch

Cupped successfully not his heavy burdensome weight well allied

Perched, wings tucked bye, steps delicately amid branching fingers

Swaying, violent frail tree tips ache, aye yearn, goodbye

Plying patience he pried, forced, the heavy tedious air freed

Captive branches pensive, pondering insistent, resolute attended perch

Bouncing up, down, Blue Heron lingering, remained, he considered

Veiled summer hazed sun examining the growing quest, peered down

Enchanted Blue Heron hopped, pedaled the air, he, the day, danced on

Roost accepted, settling in, putting down roots elevated airborne, new home

Balanced, happy, content: the bird, the tree, the soft breezing wind

Balanced the bird

Happy the tree

Content the soft breezing wind

Harmony as One, One in All

Beauty bird pleased, gratified, elongated beaked gaze nourished and sweet

Beauty sentinel gazing, dreamy, witnessing hot summer, the slow rising day

Beauty blue feathered heron citizen in the blue wakening summer sky

Beauty in his expanding world, scout discerning surplus sight

One Blue Heron, calmed, serene, no longer wobbling, satiated, at Peace

Glimpsing his towering tranquil perch, he radiates exuding the smooth day

Oh, so relaxed, eased sleepy, whispers loudly the yielding wind, He balances Life!

Denny Lyon

Copyright 15 July 2008

All Rights Reserved

Join me over at my general musings, humor and poetry blog:  The Social Poets

From shesnuckinfuts page @ flickr:

"Herons are rapidly losing marsh land to habitat development and degradation. We are celebrating them in the Honoring Great Blue Herons

(http://www.flickr.com/groups/voices/discuss/72157601852976936/) discussion at the VOICES IN THE WILDERNESS: A Prayer for Wild Things group!

(http://www.flickr.com/groups/86376889@N00/) This mosaic was made from some of the contributions of flickr members who love these beautiful birds. Feel free to come join us and add your heron photos to this discussion.

Thank you all so much for your contributions!!

1. Great Blue Heron silhouette at sunrise, 2. Precision - GBH @ Centennial Lake, Columbia Maryland 2006, 3. Suppertime!, 4. Blue Heron, 5. Blue Heron, 6. watching the sunrise, 7. I can see you, 8. Ta da!, 9. Great (Falls) Blue Heron, 10. Surprise Visit!, 11. Hey! Get off my back birdie! (Heron vs. Black Bird), 12. Great Blue Heron, 13. On alert..., 14. Stalker, 15. Great Blue up close, 16. Notorious B.R.D., 17. Poor Fishy, 18. Great Blue Heron, 19. Great Blue Heron, 20. Bathtime For Heron, 21. Closest...., 22. Heron Arrival, 23. The Two Headed Great Blue Heron, 24. Great Blue Heron, The Strike, 25. Great Blue Heron - Feed Me!, 26. GBH doing a swan imitation, 27. Blue heron at twilight, 28. Sunday Morning Meditation, 29. Wading In, 30. Blue Heron's Slow Pass, 31. Like to join me for dinner ??, 32. Ready for the kill, 33. Heron - Hilton Head, 34. Great Blue Heron close-up, 35. Great Blue Heron Striking, 36. Great Blue Heron with four chicks

Created with fd's Flickr Toys. 

All About Birds Blue Heron page

Video “State of the Birds 2009” - how birds reflect the health of our environment

Download free PDF report file of “State of the Birds 2009”

Link to wonderful National Geographic Blue Heron short video (no video embedding allowed)

Wildlife conservation at HeronCam

Quoted from HeronCam

Fun Fact from HeronCam: “The Great Blue Heron is relatively quiet compared to other members of its family. The heron releases a soft "kraak" when it is disturbed and in flight. Other calls of the heron include a "fraunk" when the bird is disturbed near its nest, and an "ar" when the heron is greeting other members of its species.”

About the Blue Heron: “Adult Great Blue Herons have few natural enemies. eagles often attack young at the nest and even predate on adults. Crows, ravens, gulls, birds of prey, and raccoons also prey upon the eggs and young; mortality of the young is high, but often for reasons other than predation.

Heavy rains and cold weather at the time of hatching take a substantial toll. Also, when food is scarce, the weakest young birds often do without and waste away. Pesticides are suspected of causing reproductive failures and deaths, although data obtained up to this time suggest that toxic chemicals have not caused any decline in overall population levels. Nest productivity declines are mostly due to nest predation and disturbance are the cause for listing as Species of Special Concern and Vulnerable .

In the past, hunting caused many heron deaths. Today, a frequent reason for nesting failures is disturbance by eagles and humans; herons are particularly sensitive to disturbance while nesting. This threat has led the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada to list the coastal “Pacific” subspecies of Great Blue Heron as a “Species of Concern” and has prompted the Government of British Columbia to name the subspecies in the interior of British Columbia a “blue” species. Both categories are reserved for populations that have characteristics that make them particularly sensitive to human activities or natural events. Scientists suggest that, as a general rule, there should be no development within 300 m of the edge of a heron colony and no disturbance in or near colonies from March to August.

Draining of marshes and destruction of other favourite haunts is a serious threat to the Great Blue Heron’s survival. The number of herons breeding in an area is directly related to the amount of feeding habitat available to them.

Overall, the Great Blue Heron population is healthy. Scientists estimate that there are tens of thousands of Great Blue Herons in Canada.”

Green Shores project for shores protection from Canada

*****

Join me over at my general musings, humor and poetry blog:  The Social Poets

Great closeup of the elusive blue heron by quinet @ flickr

Cypress sunrise by D. Scott Lipsey @ flickr

Cypress in early morning fog by D. Scott Lipsey @ flickr

Blue heron cleared for take off by D. Scott Lipsey @ flickr

Early swamp sunrise by D. Scott Lipsey @ flickr

Blue heron and white egret in double exposure flights by mikebaird @ flickr

Blue Heron dreaming in water by mikebaird @ flickr

Blue Heron collage by shesnuckinfuts @ flickr

Portrait of blue heron by Terry Foote @ flickr

Nesting pair of blue herons by mikebaird @ flickr

Blue heron coming in for a landing at Morro Bay, California by mikebaird @ flickr

Breakfast anyone? Blue heron by mikebaird @ flickr

Blue heron at dusk by kansasphoto @ flickr

Blue heron as fisherman by teddy llovet @ flickr

Blue heron captures breakfast of rock cod fish by teddy llovet @ flickr

Blue heron on treetop tips by quinet @ flickr

Blue heron wading in the Gulf of Mexico at sunset by Terry Foote at flickr

Blue heron tracks in the sand by kansasphoto @ flickr

Great closeup of the elusive blue heron by quinet @ flickr

Blue heron across from Golden Gate bridge by boltron- @ flickr

Blurred flight of blue heron in Miami, Florida by alexdecarvalho @ flickr

Blue heron in early morning mists by brendan.lally @ flickr

Huge wing span of blue heron over water by glenn_e_wilson @ flickr

Ruffled wet feathers of blue heron by teddy llovet @ flickr

Blue heron in full flight by qnr @ flickr

Peaceful gazing blue heron by John Picken @ flickr