28 More Birds
five white egrets sun themselves atop a tree
kingfishers flying fast and low sweep by
lazy lapwings stand facing river’s flow
as wagtails busily fish on water’s edge
song of iora fills the air with sweet melody
bee-eaters fly to and fro from bramble fence
crows caw crookedly on bamboo branch above
while swallows at great speed dive through morning sky
There are no birds I’ve seen so much in love with the grace of flight as the swallows; while others may fly so as to fish, or to pick insects from the air, the swallow in a totally uneconomic way, uses its energy for no good purpose at all, just because with its beautifully sleek wings and aerodynamic design it was made for flight, and fly it must to fulfil its nature. I don’t know whether they feel joy at their extraordinary ability, their swooping flapping, and diving, at their breakneck change of direction and speed, but I certainly do. Just to see a creature so full of life and exuberance is enough to raise one’s heart in thanksgiving. And as I write they dive up and down, in groups and alone, without a care for the morrow, expending what must be a fantastic amount of energy, that they replenish every so often by snatching some poor creature, who probably never even saw them coming, off the water’s surface, and zooming off once more in the element they’ve made their own by their response to life’s call.
one morning observed while sitting by river
birds are there and peace and calm
then something is seen that makes them to scatter
young man appears from nearby farm
coming to rock he makes his way over
letting out net that’s really quite long
then moving upstream and slapping the water
he drives his prey while humming a song
and returning to bank he starts to gather
his catch: five fish enough for his dinner