Great Blue Heron in evening light

Again, tonight, he took up a fishing spot under a small aqueduct that crosses the Canal.

And, again, I got a fairly sharp picture with the Samsung Galaxy camera, 

which is a phone, really, with a 21x zoom lens melded to it in the middle.

I thought he was a good omen for starting up the blog again

after this month-long pause. It was much, much, much easier to stop 

than to get myself started up again. 

WINGS
        

I saw the heron
   poise
      like a branch of white petals 
         in the swamp,
        
in the mud that lies
   like a glaze,
      in the water
         that swirls its pale panels

of reflected clouds;
   I saw the heron shaking
      its damp wings--
         and then I felt

an explosion--
   a pain--
      also a happiness
         I can hardly mention

as I slid free--
   as I saw the world
      through those yellow eyes--
         as I stood like that, rippling,

under the mottled sky
   of the evening
      that was beginning to throw
         its dense shadows.

No! said my heart, and drew back.
   but my bones knew something wonderful
      about the darkness--
         and they thrashed in their cords,

they fought, they wanted
   to lie down in that silky mash
      of the swamp, the sooner
         to fly.

 Mary Oliver

from House of Light, Beacon Press, 1992

There are many wonderful heron poems! Look for some more.