Night Heron at Brazos Marsh

By George Chandy

Photo by Dr. Christine Beeton taken at Brazos Bend State Park Photo by Dr. Christine Beeton taken at Brazos Bend State Park

Flowing, murmuring ribbon

mirrors encroaching dark.

Twilight’s purple bruised to orange,

on river Los Brazos de Dios.

Black-crowned Night Heron’s

abrupt, guttural kwok

pierces chorus of frogs and crickets.

The hunched heron peers at her twin

in glistening mirror:

reflected ruby eyes gaze,

spindly legs meet.

Her dagger-beak cleaves

silvered surface;

ripples shiver twin into

a thousand lines of charcoal,

then knit themselves

till mirrored twins made whole.

Frozen in frame.

Human, stilled.

Flowing river.

Silent witness.

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I am a retired physician-scientist embarking on expression through poetry. My poetry grows out of my love of the natural world. A photo of a Black-crowned Night Heron taken at Brazos Bend State Park by my friend Professor Christine Beeton inspired me to write the poem "Night Heron at Brazos Marsh." My poem "Emerald Flight" will appear in the October issue of the magazine, Soul Forte.