How is it the first Friday of August already? I have crossed off a number of chores from my to-do list, but it seems like the list keeps growing! Fortunately, I still have the entire month to finish the most important tasks. But now it’s time for poetry.

This month, it was my turn to pose the Inkling’s monthly challenge. My brain was still de-stressing from a challenging spring at the end of June, and I was floundering a bit to come up with a worthwhile prompt. Luckily, Irene Latham, posted a “Summer Triptych” last month. I was intrigued by the form, and Irene made it look so easy (as she does with everything!). So that was the challenge: write a triptych. (Thank you, Irene.)

I toyed around with several ideas, but kept coming back to an owl (owls?) who’ve always been in the woods behind our house. This summer, though, she (they?) have moved into the front yard! My husband has been lucky enough to see her on several occasions.

I

Just before dawn,
an owl’s call
threads its way through the trees
before tapering off into a purr.

II

Bold in the noonday sun, 
an owl sits, poised and serene.
She seems aloof to the comings
and goings around her.
But make no mistake:
She is keenly aware
of every imperceptible
rustle of grass,
every whisper of leaves.

III

A creamy, tan striped feather
lies under the apple tree:
Owl’s calling card.

© Catherine Flynn, 2025

Check out my fellow Inklings triptych’s here:

Heidi @ my juicy little universe
Margaret @ Reflections on the Teche
Linda @ A Word Edgewise
Mary Lee @ Another Year of Reading
Molly @ Nix the Comfort Zone

Then be sure to visit Jane Wittingham at Rain City Librarian for the Poetry Friday Roundup.