Friday, March 22, 2013

Is That Owl You Have to Say?

This is Slice 22 of 31 at Two Writing Teachers AND, it's Poetry Friday hosted at Greg's place, Gotta Book.  Stop in for a visits at both places!


I was standing at the kitchen sink tonight, when suddenly the setting sun behind me shot a bright orange ray past me to light up the three Red Rose Tea owls on my kitchen windowsill. I quickly snapped a picture before the sun moved on.  I guess it means, just put up the owl poems.


A Rhetorical Question?

A quizzical fowl
is the Northern Barred Owl,
But his question is always the same:
“Whoo-whoo are you? Whoo-whoo are you?”

Rhetoric at best,
That question’s a test;
His meal need not tell him it’s name -
“Whoo-whoo, adieu! Whoo-whoo, adieu!”

Then I found this poem in my "stack of papers" in a file on my computer, that I wrote a couple of years ago.  It seems that I'm finding I have a connection with these birds that I wasn't quite aware of.


An owl says “Who?”
But I don’t know just why
As he swoops so silently
Down from the sky.

He knows who it is
That he spies on the ground.
Is he trying to scare
A poor mouse with that sound?


And lastly, I just remembered something I made with a second grade class a few years back when I taught technology...I just put it up on YouTube...and here it is...short, sweet, owl and mouse..."paper-mation" video...not a poem.


17 comments:

  1. I loved your Rhetorical Question and of course I voted for it. The adieu was the perfect word. That video is too cute. You do seem to have an owl thing happening.

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    1. I have a bunch of these short videos that I did with each class in the elementary school - not all owls! But the second grade was studying birds, so this made sense for them! Thanks for your vote!

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  2. I like your slice. I have always admired the owls and their silent flight.

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    1. They are amazingly silent! Love it, but it's startling when they appear out of nowhere! I guess more so if you are a mouse or rabbit!

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  3. Owls are fascinating creatures. I've only seen 2 in my life. Your paper-mation is a great way to teach technology--more than just shooting a video--real creativity.

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    1. My older kids did animated volcanoes in a paint program, which was fun, too. But with the construction paper, the younger kids could more easily manipulate the pieces and see how to make small changes.

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  4. One thing leading to another. I can imagine that with years this trail will be longer. Your poems and video are not just about owls, they are about the fate of mice.

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    1. You are so right! And I have done a few things with mice, now that I think about it.

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  5. I like your owls! Thanks for sharing them!

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  6. That's just the best! How cute. How creative. How fun!

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  7. The owl photograph is so stunning - it almost looks like a painting. Great owly poems, Donna. And that stop motion video was amazing...so creative!

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  8. Today I met a rehabilitated owl. It turned out to be an owl that my husband (a police officer) assisted in rescuing/saving after it had been hit by a car. The owl has recovered but has a blown pupil in one eye. So he lives with professional caregivers and does programs for schools. Beautiful, amazing animal.

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  9. My mother-in-law loves owls! She would love the way your owls have found you today! :-)

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  10. What a great poem about owls using the theme "Rhetorical Question". SO clever. And the rhyming with adieu is wonderfully clever. I laughed out loud with your video.

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  11. Do you remember the owls people made, maybe in the 70's, by macrame? This reminded me of that because my mother really got into it, & starting collecting owls, etc. I like your poems, especially the MM one. You did it well. Some think that serious poems don't get many votes. Hm-m-m!

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    1. Yes, I was thinking about that, too! I had an owl candle holder back then and wore a macrame belt that I'd made. Ah, the good old 70's!

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  12. Love the paper-mation! And I LOVED your owl poem in MM2013!!

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