Comfortable with Obscurity
A Solitary American Bittern*
You there among willows, statuary-still
A slice of awe, this rare glimpse of your visage
Skilled in stealth you prowl among lean reeds
Comfortable with obscurity
A loner, they say
Aloof, let this one be
Little does the pack understand
The heart of solitude
Under wide skies of blue and gold
There are treasures to mine
Food fit for the seeker of the hidden
Revelation born of hushed reflection
Let us learn from you
How to listen to the wind
And yield to its beckoning
You who plumb the depths of clouds
Mirrored in fertile waters
Teach us to find renewal in a rainstorm
And satiety in a rainbow
To quiet ourselves
With the satisfaction of solitude
* The American Bittern is a solitary bird. By nature it seeks the camouflage of marsh grasses, reeds, and brush. Its secretive stealth allows it to find and seize prey. The population of American Bitterns have been negatively affected by loss of habitat.
I see in this mid-sized heron a metaphor for the quiet one: the person who prefers a walk in wilderness to a party or the comfort of a good book to the cacophony of sound and light in popular entertainment.
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