Poetry / Writing

News From the Natural World: Jewel of the Jungle

Catherine Flynn20 Comments

Every Tuesday, the New York Times has a section devoted to science. When I opened the paper yesterday and saw this photo, I knew I had to write a poem about this enchanting little bird!

You can read an expanded version of this article here. This story was also featured in Esquire.

“Jewel of the Jungle”
(South Philippine Dwarf Kingfisher)

Hidden deep within a jungle
of the far-off Philippines
lives a bird so small and shy
she’s hardly ever seen.

Adorned in the colors of sunset,
streaked purple, orange, gold,
with bright black eyes that shine like night,
she’s a dazzling sight to behold.

Zipping, darting through the trees
finding insects for each meal,
she grabs them in her dagger-like bill,
then gulps them down with zeal.

Her jungle home is threatened
by our axes and our brawn.
Let’s stop this mad destruction
Before her habitat is gone.

Draft © Catherine Flynn, 2020

Other “News From the Natural World” poems:

April 5: Phantom of the Forest
April 4: To Build a Nest
April 3: Apple Cake
April 2: Specimen
April 1: Forest Snail

Yesterday, I contributed a line to the Kidlitosphere Progressive Poem. Find out which of my lines Tara Smith chose here, then follow the progress of this year’s “choose your own adventure” version of the poem at the links below.

1 Donna Smith at Mainely Write
2 Irene Latham at Live Your Poem
3 Jone MacCulloch, deowriter
4 Liz Steinglass
5 Buffy Silverman
6 Kay McGriff
7 Catherine Flynn at Reading to the Core
8 Tara Smith at Going to Walden
9 Carol Varsalona at Beyond Literacy Link
10 Matt Forrest Esenwine at Radio, Rhythm, and Rhyme
11 Janet Fagel, hosted at Reflections on the Teche
12 Linda Mitchell at A Word Edgewise
13 Kat Apel at Kat Whiskers
14 Margaret at Reflections on the Teche
15 Leigh Anne Eck at A Day in the Life
16 Linda Baie at Teacher Dance
17 Heidi Mordhorst at My Juicy Little Universe
18 Mary Lee Hahn at A Year of Reading
19 Tabatha at Opposite of Indifference
20 Rose Cappelli at Imagine the Possibilities
21 Janice Scully at Salt City Verse
22 Julieanne Harmatz at To Read, To Write, To Be
23 Ruth, thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com
24 Christie Wyman at Wondering and Wandering
25 Amy at The Poem Farm
26 Dani Burtsfield at Doing the Work That Matters
27 Robyn Hood Black at Life on the Deckle Edge
28
29 Fran Haley at lit bits and pieces
30 Michelle Kogan

20 thoughts on “News From the Natural World: Jewel of the Jungle”

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