In a pouring rain, the owl sat in a tree next to our house; another owl was farther away. They were talking to each other for about an hour out there. At midnight they quit for the night, I think... They may have started up their conversation again after I fell asleep.
I really don't think I'd want to be a little critter outside at night, hearing those big voices above. Not being a little critter by any means, I bravely fetched my phone and recorded those awesome sounds. If you turn the volume up enough to really disturb your cat or dog, you may be able to hear the faint sound of the more distant owl answering the first's call.
Oh, great horned fowl,
I heard you howl,
Great baritone of flight.
Tucked in a tree
You haunted me;
Unseen, I felt your stare.
Your questions hung
In realms unsung
Until beyond my sight
Another heard -
Echoed the word
-
A harmonizing pair.
Oh, stealthy owl,
How well you prowl
Tiptoeing through the night.
No time to hide
With silent glide
Piercing the moonless air.
No mice dare flit
Nor rabbit sit
Under these songs tonight.
In rain or moon
The night owl’s tune
Warns creatures to beware.
©Donna JT Smith, 2014
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Pretty cool how you captured the sound. Excellent job of capturing the entire experience with such lovely poetry.
ReplyDeleteLee
Tossing It Out
Thanks! Usually as soon as I go back inside to get the phone, they decide to move on! I guess the rain kept them in their dry spots longer!
DeleteThe recording and the poem are a wonderful piece of work. I had no idea that owls made such an ethereal sound. Thanks for sharing. P.S. - repost on Halloween. It has just the right touch of spooky.
ReplyDeleteI have been up in our loft with a window open as I was writing at night and heard an owl in the tree probably 10 feet from my head. It is very startling to have an owl hooting that close to you!
DeleteYou have such a way with words! Love the poem's structure.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I wondered if anyone would notice the rhyming pattern. I think I made it up. I probably should name it - if I did!
DeleteThat was the coolest experience to read your words while listening to the owl hoots you captured. Wow!
ReplyDeleteOh, I just tried that. That is fun.
DeleteI love hearing the owl and the rain, Donna. What a wonderful night to be cozy in bed! Also love the line "the night owl's tune". I'm listening now to all the chirping, chirping of the morning. Birds are really special, aren't they? Great to hear from you again. Hope the new baby is doing well!
ReplyDeleteI am listening to a robin chirping outside now. I love their cheerful notes!
DeleteAnd the new granddaughter is doing great! I'll email you a picture. We don't put them online. Her brother thinks she is something special!
Ha - your warning about disturbing your cat or dog was right on - my Cocker Spaniel, Ben, is so confused! His ears are perked up, and he's looking around, trying to figure out what is happening. Now he went to the door. Ha. ;-) Anyway, what a great idea to record that wonderful sound. Beautiful poem, too. How he's barking. ;-)
ReplyDeleteMy animals have heard the owls out here enough to just think it is another day in the woods, but when I play some other animal sound - like another dog or cat or a hawk - they go crazy! (Well, crazy for the "old dog" is lifting her head and growling a bit.)
DeleteAlso, Donna - thank you for alerting me to the incorrect link on my post! I don't know how I did that. :-( Anyway, it's fixed now!!
ReplyDeleteIt's such a great article, I'd hate for someone to miss it!
DeleteThis is so very good! We are obsessed with owls currently in my house. I read this with my little guys tonight and they made me read it again. It's got a spooky quality to it!
ReplyDeleteOh my! What a smart idea to record them! It almost sounds like my neighbor's dogs. The poem is absolutely stunning. Wow. Of course, now that I read the other comments, I have to go back and read it again with the recording playing...
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