Welcome to Four Lines! I have a goal I would like to write at least four lines of poetry or a haiku every day for the rest of my life. I'm excited about this challenge! Also, along with my daily poem, I will be reading at least four lines of another author's poetry. I'll try to include that here also. So I'm thinking - how difficult can it be to read and then write one poem a day? We will see! - Claudia
All poems on this blog, unless noted, are written by Claudia Callaghan.
© 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 Claudia Callaghan
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Saturday, April 21, 2012

                  Sonnet 11

We stopped for a Teal along the road,
desperate with a weeping wing.
Scooping her up, I wrapped her
in my new, red, cotton sweater
and set her securely on my lap.
Her cries constant, we drove away
from her home, her mate, as I spoke
serenely, hoping she could sense
my mantra, "We're helping you."
The teal's patterned feathers equaled
the beauty of water!  Suddenly quiet,
she looked at me - intelligent, curious,
unafraid.  Everything changed for me
that day.  I saw myself in her eyes.


Note:  The day my friend and I rescued the teal, taking her to a bird sanctuary that mends wounded birds and returns them to the wild, was an epiphany for me.  I've rescued many wounded birds, but never one the size of a duck and also never one that I had to hold (we had no box or anything in the car to put her in), for such a long time, while driving to the sanctuary.  I was astonished at the beautiful, intricate patterns of the teal's feathers, a small example of the beauty of nature - but not just that!  I decided beauty in nature - in essence, the truth of all things - is not determined by size.  A mountain and a bird soaring, feeding, raising their young, living, are equally beautiful and important.  When the teal stopped squalking and became curious of her surroundings, she focused partly on me, even staring at me for minutes at a time, as I spoke kind words - that she was going to be ok and not to worry.  Several weeks after the rescue, I received a post card from the sanctuary that she recovered and was released back into the wild. 



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