OWL ON A BRANCH

Upon a branch an owl took rest,
To stay there solemnly,
As if he stared quite unimpressed
As he looked down on me...
I took some photos of him there,
He blinked and then stared on,
As if he simply didn't care
If I stayed or was gone...

There was no wisdom to discern,
No sage advice or whim,
No lesson meant for me to learn
As I looked up at him...
But then he flew so gracefully
That I stood there amazed,
As if God's miracle to see
So that God would be praised...

And praise I did, for all I saw,
Because I couldn't fly,
Yet that owl flew and then, what's more,
He knew not how or why...
His golden wings were God's design,
With feathers side by side,
Yet I walked home to all that's mine,
A man devoid of pride...


Denis Martindale, copyright March 2016.


A poem based on a magnificent wildlife painting,
by artist Stephen Gayford. Google-search
gayfordgallery and 'Stephen Gayford poetry'.

Poem shared here:

http://poemhunter.com/poem/owl-on-a-branch/

Shortcut: http://tinyurl.com/owl-on-a-branch

Printer-friendly text version, nb increase text size:

http://poemhunter.com/best-poems/denis-martindale/owl-on-a-branch/

http://denis-martindale.blogspot.com/2016/03/owl-on-branch.html

:::
:::

STUDY OF AN OWL

What makes an owl an owl of worth
Until it flies full grown,
Above the human lands on Earth
Wherever it has flown,
With all the grace it needs each flight
To conquer gravity,
While I stand here and keep in sight
Its humble irony?

God gave it wings, yet gave me none,
It soars the skies above,
Upto the clouds, upto the sun,
Without the wit to love...
It grants no praise to God on high,
It doesn't know His name,
No wonder that I ask God why,
I, too, can't fly the same...

I'm green with envy at that owl,
That flying feathered friend,
Yet can't help thinking my luck's foul,
If God, my wings, won't send...
And yet I'm safe on Earth below,
No broken wings have I,
I guess I'll just walk to and fro,
Look up and heave a sigh...


Denis Martindale, copyright, March 2015.


Poem based on the magnificent wildlife painting,
by artist Stephen Gayford nb Google-search
gayfordgallery and "Stephen Gayford poetry".

https://www.google.co.uk/#q=Stephen+Gayford+poetry

Poem shared here:

http://poemhunter.com/poem/study-of-an-owl/

Shortcut: http://tinyurl.com/study-of-an-owl

Printer-friendly text version, nb increase text size:

http://poemhunter.com/best-poems/denis-martindale/study-of-an-owl/

http://denis-martindale.blogspot.com/2015/03/study-of-owl.html

My Poetry website: http://poem.says.it

My Stephen Gayford tribute poems are here:

http://poemhunter.com/poem/stephen-gayford/
http://poemhunter.com/poem/the-prince-of-prints-2/
http://poemhunter.com/poem/a-brush-with-genius/
http://poemhunter.com/poem/gayford-gallery/

The Stephen Gayford Gallery website is here:

http://www.gayfordgallery.com

It was being updated in March 2015!

http://gayfordgallery.com/the-artist/

Youtube video: http://tinyurl.com/gayfordgallery-dot-com-video

Click-a-pic!

http://gayfordgallery.com/original-paintings/

http://gayfordgallery.com/originalwatercolours/

http://gayfordgallery.com/originalpencildrawings/

http://gayfordgallery.com/signedlimitededitionartistproofs/

There's also a Guest Book!

http://users2.smartgb.com/g/g.php?a=s&i=g25-52612-21

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

The Stephen Gayford poems can be viewed here:

poemhunter.com links:

http://tinyurl.com/gayfordpoems or
http://tinyurl.com/gayfordpoems2
(that's for the A to Z title listings)

blog website links:

http://denis-martindale.blogspot.com
http://tinyurl.com/stephen-gayford-poetry

Framed pictures can be bought from UK websites,
NB use zoom-in feature when viewing pictures.

http://search.ebay.co.uk/stephen-gayford
http://www.amazon.co.uk
http://www.preloved.co.uk
https://www.google.co.uk/#q=Stephen+Gayford
http://www.gumtree.com/for-sale/uk/stephen+gayford
(Notice camera link to each image to view.)

http://www.for-sale.co.uk/stephen-gayford
(Various website sales of Stephen Gayford prints.)

http://xxl-sale.co.uk/search/?q=Stephen+Gayford+signed
(Notice similar items at the end of each webpage.)

:::

BARN OWL

The barn owl swiftly rose on high,
Serenely so, in fact,
To glide across the pale blue sky,
As if no need to act...
I saw it land on yonder tree
And set my camera's view
To focus on its majesty,
To learn what it would do...

And what I saw felt mine all mine,
As if the only one
To see its glistening black eyes shine
And shimmer in the sun...
For it stayed still as if to pose,
Permitting me the chance
To zoom in more, till way up close,
The picture to enhance...

My camera clicked time after time,
To capture all I saw,
Because, to me, it looked sublime
And thrilled me to the core...
But glad was I that it was free,
To live its whole life through,
Not put on show for you and me
To stare at in a zoo...



Denis Martindale, copyright, January 2015.


The poem is based on the magnificent wildlife
painting by Stephen Gayford nb Google-search
gayfordgallery and "Stephen Gayford poetry".

https://www.google.co.uk/#q=Stephen+Gayford+poetry

Poem shared here:

http://poemhunter.com/poem/barn-owl-4/

Shortcut: http://tinyurl.com/barn-owl-poem

Printer-friendly text version, nb increase text size:

http://poemhunter.com/best-poems/denis-martindale/barn-owl-4/

http://denis-martindale.blogspot.com/2015/01/barn-owl.html

My Poetry website: http://poem.says.it

My Stephen Gayford tribute poems are here:

http://poemhunter.com/poem/stephen-gayford/
http://poemhunter.com/poem/the-prince-of-prints-2/
http://poemhunter.com/poem/a-brush-with-genius/
http://poemhunter.com/poem/gayford-gallery/

The Stephen Gayford Gallery website is here:

http://www.gayfordgallery.com

It was being updated in January 2015!

http://gayfordgallery.com/the-artist/

Youtube video: http://tinyurl.com/gayfordgallery-dot-com-video

Click-a-pic!

http://gayfordgallery.com/original-paintings/

http://gayfordgallery.com/originalwatercolours/

http://gayfordgallery.com/originalpencildrawings/

http://gayfordgallery.com/signedlimitededitionartistproofs/

There's also a Guest Book!

http://users2.smartgb.com/g/g.php?a=s&i=g25-52612-21

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

The Stephen Gayford poems can be viewed here:

poemhunter.com links:

http://tinyurl.com/gayfordpoems or
http://tinyurl.com/gayfordpoems2
(that's for the A to Z title listings)

blog website links:

http://denis-martindale.blogspot.com
http://tinyurl.com/stephen-gayford-poetry

Framed pictures can be bought from UK websites,
NB use zoom-in feature when viewing pictures.

http://search.ebay.co.uk/stephen-gayford
http://www.amazon.co.uk
http://www.preloved.co.uk
https://www.google.co.uk/#q=Stephen+Gayford

http://www.baato.co.uk/stephen%20gayford
(Various website sales of Stephen Gayford prints.)


:::

TWO BARN OWLETS

Two barn owlets had nestled close,
Companions for a while,
With lovehearts faces there to pose,
Carefree, each with a smile...
Adorned in wondrous gold and white
And such a sight to see,
Now resting gently after flight
Across the scenery...

United by a common bond
And now it served them well,
Without a clue what laid beyond,
Like us, quite hard to tell...
They had to bide their time to grow,
To learn a thing or two,
Then separate paths each one would go,
To do what each must do...

While loneliness is kept at bay,
Each soul may still rejoice,
Until there comes that final day
When parting comes by choice...
For life goes on, with adult themes,
When childhood is no more,
Perchance to nurture greater dreams
Than all that went before...


Denis Martindale, copyright, June 2014.


The poem is based on the magnificent painting by
Stephen Gayford, nb Google search gayfordgallery.

Find more wildlife poems using Google search
for the search phrase Stephen Gayford poetry.

https://www.google.co.uk/#q=Stephen+Gayford+poetry

Poem shared here:

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/two-barn-owlets/

Printer-friendly text version, nb increase text size:

http://www.poemhunter.com/best-poems/denis-martindale/two-barn-owlets/

Shortcut: http://tinyurl.com/two-barn-owlets

http://denis-martindale.blogspot.com/2014/06/two-barn-owlets.html

My Poetry website: http://poem.says.it

My Stephen Gayford tribute poems are here:

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/stephen-gayford/
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-prince-of-prints-2/
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/a-brush-with-genius/
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/gayford-gallery/

The Stephen Gayford Gallery website is here:

http://www.gayfordgallery.com

It was being updated in June 2014!

http://gayfordgallery.com/the-artist/

Youtube video: http://tinyurl.com/gayfordgallery-dot-com-video

Click-a-pic!

http://gayfordgallery.com/original-paintings/

http://gayfordgallery.com/originalwatercolours/

http://gayfordgallery.com/originalpencildrawings/

http://gayfordgallery.com/signedlimitededitionartistproofs/

There's also a Guest Book!

http://users2.smartgb.com/g/g.php?a=s&i=g25-52612-21

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

The Stephen Gayford poems can be viewed here:

poemhunter.com links:

http://tinyurl.com/gayfordpoems or
http://tinyurl.com/gayfordpoems2
(that's for the A to Z title listings)

blog website links:

http://denis-martindale.blogspot.com
http://tinyurl.com/stephen-gayford-poetry

Framed pictures can be bought from UK websites:

http://search.ebay.co.uk/stephen-gayford
http://www.amazon.co.uk
http://www.preloved.co.uk
https://www.google.co.uk/#q=Stephen+Gayford

:::

EVENING PATROL

The white owl wings sweep through the air,
Each feather plays its part,
Fuelled by the strength that got them there
When that owl made his start...
He glides from tree to tree to tree,
Observes life's cavalcade,
The pageantry that few eyes see,
As sunshine's glow must fade...

Less details seen as twilight bears
Its full weight from now on,
An owl's designed without such cares,
Despite the sun that's gone...
The moon's enough to fly around,
To set off or to land,
Another meal must yet be found
And so each evening's planned...

His hunger spurred each new event,
His every twist and turn,
Each changing thought to comprehend,
To update and to learn...
For this patrol, like those before,
This owl must fly alone
And that once seen fills us with awe,
The like that's rarely known...


Denis Martindale, copyright, October 2013.


The poem is based on the magnificent painting
by Stephen Gayford called 'Evening Patrol'.


More Stephen Gayford poems here:
denis-martindale-dot-blogspot-dot-com

My Poetry website: http://poem.says.it


Shared on

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/evening-patrol/

Printer-friendly text version:

http://www.poemhunter.com/best-poems/denis-martindale/evening-patrol/

Shortcut: http://tinyurl.com/evening-patrol

http://denis-martindale.blogspot.com/2013/10/evening-patrol.html

The Stephen Gayford Gallery website is here:

http://www.gayfordgallery.com

Youtube video: http://tinyurl.com/gayfordgallery-dot-com-video


Update: My poem, 'An Ode To Stephen Gayford'
is featured in the website's News Section!

http://www.gayfordgallery.com/news.htm

There's also a Guest Book!

http://users2.smartgb.com/g/g.php?a=s&i=g25-52612-21

The Stephen Gayford poems can be viewed here:

poemhunter.com links:

http://tinyurl.com/gayfordpoems or
http://tinyurl.com/gayfordpoems2

blog website links:

http://denis-martindale.blogspot.com
http://tinyurl.com/stephen-gayford-poetry

Framed pictures can be bought from UK websites:

http://www.bid.tv (on UK Freeview)
http://www.price-drop.tv (on UK Freeview)
http://www.pokemoncraftstore.com/index.php?cPath=24