Bittern (by any name)


 

Haeferblaete hiding,

Hereward-like,

stealthily stalking fish or frog,

in reed-fringed channel;

stilled,

buff-brown-feather-plant-merging.


Butterbump's boom,

each call

one-male marking,

invitation card carrying

to mate-match

over fen's fertile fastness.


Bittern,

so shy of prying eye,

in numbers small,

yet symbol large,

restored boon-balance,

treasure in the land.


Paul Middleton

Image by Mark Stoop

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