ZIPITY-DO-DAH

I just watched an Osprey

take a five-pound skipjack

off to Never~Never land, and

as the fish was turned aero-

dynamically headfirst, I could

see the eyes of desperate fear 

turn to resignation. 

There is a funeral tomorrow,

so maybe that’s it, but the sight 

of death presented in such 

sparkling light gives me pause 

to lean back in this chair in need

of something to say, but cannot 

for the life of me think what that 

might be.

Reviews

[carl]

maybe just that we might find that same reference when the time comes. - At my dad's funeral the preacher said "unbind him and let him go" - never really understood why he chose that but in a way it was all that we could do at that point. Can't say that zipity-do-dah would have been an acceptable remark but at the same time I think it would have made me smile - enjoyed your piece of work - carl

[Vol]

Carl,
The sun comes up, the sun goes down... no matter what we do, no matter how tangled our feelings...
Vol

[Chris Shaw]

The cycle of life, so visually penned, yet I too captured that fear in the eye and also felt a pang of sorrow for the soon to be dinner. When the time comes, will I resist or be ready to go. I wonder? Stunning imagery here Vol in a captivating write.

Chris

[Vol]

Chris,
Thank you! We live so safe these days and complain about work and life, and bills, but there was a time when a warrior hunting for food with a crude spear could end up as dinner himself...
Vol

[MarthaKlokke]

Your memorial will be special. Stunning thoughts.

[Vol]

Thank you Martha! You know, I learned a long time ago that not all beauty is pretty...
Vol

[Sapphus]

Would I be like that fish, I wonder. Or would I try to twist back into my water. Will know soon... Maybe.

[Vol]

Sapphus,
We won't... Mom died the first of July, strong of mind and heart, in her 96 year old body, wanting to "go home," I would have never guessed that her last ords would be "help me, help me..."
Vol

[DIVYA]

"the sight
of death presented in such
sparkling light

Dear Vol,
A fabulous piece of imagery must be celebrated and that's exactly what I'm doing now! That scene, that line say it all. No words needed!

[Vol]

Divya,
I wish I could build a community for poets whose goal is beauty...
Vol

[DIVYA]

I think we already have it here to some extent Vol...?

[Ms claws]

Hi Vol, I saw adult bluejays snatch baby robins right out of the nest. Their beaks wide open, screaming for rescue. No bird came to their aid.
Humans are too compassionate sometimes. If we could look at "nature" and say, "It's the Circle of Life."
YOU, on the other hand, are a wonder! Your words are cameras and recorders to play back your visions and experiences. If W.C. does go down within the year as I was told, it's been an honor, Sir.

[Vol]

What? What? WC goes down? huh? no way! Aww, man...

[Kelly Scheppers]

That sight you witnessed would have crushed my heart! I know it's the circle of life, still, the way you defined it is poignant in an unexpected way. The line about "death presented in such sparkling light", really sucker punched me in the gut. Desperate fear turning to resignation. As sad as it is, it is beautifully written. Compassion for a fish is hard to come by these days. This will go in my library. Thank you, Vol!

[Vol]

Kelly,
I am especially emotional right now, my mom's memorial service is tomorrow, and I just finished my eulogy... so I am not ashamed to say your review made me cry... I was on the edge, anyway, but your gentle nudge pushed me over... Thank you, m'lady... thank you...
Vol

[Kelly Scheppers]

So very sorry to hear about your Mom, Vol. I lost my brother just two months ago, and I'm still finding the days difficult to get through. I've no doubt your eulogy is beautiful and will make your Mom most proud. For that's what we do for our Mom's, we continue to make them proud, even after we're grown, even after they're gone. My prayers are with you!

[Vol]

Kelly,
My family doesn't really do church, but we are all deep, well-studied Christians and, for us, death has no sting, we have none of the usual fmily conflcts, everybody deep in love with everyone else... we wonder how folks make it through through trauma and tragedy, without faitj and love... so this is a celebration worthy of song and dance and other loud rejoicing... we laugh a lot. Of course we miss her... she was 96, and ready...
Vol

[Lorry]

I bet the skipjack wasn't thinking zipity do-dah, like I know what a fish would be thinking. But is it really important that it didn't end up as part of a banquet in a fancy restaurant or that it's ambition to fly is ironically coming true in the most unusual of ways?
Sometimes it's best just to know your place in life and accept that if you're part of the food chain, one day you're gonna get eaten!
Maybe that thought should be "Well at least he didn't end up being delivered by Amazon drone to be someone's lunch!"
I'm sure it would have been grateful for that! 😃

[Vol]

Lorry,
The thing is, I imagine it dropped still flopping into some aerie and suffering the same fate as William Wallace, but without any of the wastage... and shared among fledgling siblings...
Vol

[John the Baptist]

There is really nothing to say, Vol. In the midst of life, we are in death.

[Vol]

John,
Our souls trapped in these flesh prisons... the Universe just follows its own nature, and away we go... and how we feel about it s irrelevant...
Vol