Monday, March 28, 2005

MONDAY PHOTO SHOOT

Here's John's Monday Photo shoot. 

He wanted us to do a photo shoot of our fine feathered friend.  These little guys walk the beaches every morning and evening.  They are always part of the beach.  Sandpipers

http://journals.aol.com/johnmscalzi/bytheway/entries/3845

Sandpiper
By Celia Thaxter (1872)


Across the narrow beach we flit,
   One little sandpiper and I,
And fast I gather, bit by bit,
   The scattered driftwood bleached and dry.
The wild waves reach their hands for it,
   The wild wind raves, the tide runs high,
As up and down the beach we flit,--
   One little sandpiper and I.

Above our heads the sullen clouds
   Scud black and swift across the sky;
Like silent ghosts in misty shrouds
   Stand out the white lighthouses high.
Almost as far as eye can reach
   I see the close-reefed vessels fly,
As fast we flit along the beach,--
   One little sandpiper and I.

I watch him as he skims along,
   Uttering his sweet and mournful cry.
He starts not at my fitful song,
   Nor flash of fluttering drapery.
He has no thought of any wrong;
   He scans me with a fearless eye:
Staunch friends are we, well tried and strong,
   The little sandpiper and I.

Comrade, where wilt thou be tonight,
   When the loosed storm breaks furiously?
My driftwood fire will burn so bright!
   To what warm shelter canst thou fly?
I do not fear for thee, though wroth
   The tempest rushes through the sky:
For are we not God’s children both,
   Thou, little sandpiper, and I?

··· Celia Thaxter ···

 

 

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Absolutely gorgeous!  Good choice for an entry, Derek.

Anonymous said...

Wonderful!
I always have trouble identifying the little shore birds.  Who are these little ones?
Peace,  Virginia

Anonymous said...

I used to have a carved sandpiper that sat on my desk in my old house, painted to look oh so realistic. Lovely photograph. judi

Anonymous said...

My guess is either Least Sandpiper or the Western Sandpiper..... was I ever close?
Peace,
Virginia

Anonymous said...

I love sandpipers!  There was a poem written about the sandpiper.  Don't remember what it said or who it was by.  Just remember it from my past...I enjoyed it then.  Lovely picture, Derek.  Hugs to you and Mike, gloria

Anonymous said...

Thanks for visiting my journal, guy!  Mind if I put in my links?  You write very well!

Russ  

Anonymous said...

Derek :)

Thank you for coming by my journal Ellipsis. I like your photos very much! Very nice indeed. :)

Carly :)

Anonymous said...

Ah, very nice!
V