Crisp snowy white and regal, you move with a fluidity that shames most creatures. Long, needle-like beak, a brilliant hue of yellow, used to pluck small fish and amphibious morsels from the waters you feast upon. Still you stand, almost statuesque, waiting for opportunity. A splendid creature, moving meticulously through your real… But to see you spread your wings and take flight, the grandeur of such a sight makes you nothing less than queen of your domain. Soaring close above the water’s surface, your reflection ripples with equal beauty.
Mating season arrives, your brilliant verdant plumes draw them, they flock to you. Eight, ten, perhaps twelve suitors this season. They sit amongst the trees waiting for you to choose. A prize chosen, you dance together on the air, you lead, he follows. You perch among the foliage, building together, creating together, but now that the creation is complete, he leaves. In your nest you wait, you birth, you rear. The smaller of the young lost to the larger, yet still they are yours to accept. Youth does not always grant grace, but in time, it will come.
You, the Egret queen, soar magnificently over the waters, and stalk this pond upon foot with serene patients as the others watch with jealous pride.
© Copyright 2013 Nina D’Arcangela. All Rights Reserved.
I’m doing the 2013 Blogging from A to Z Challenge! Pop back everyday but Sunday through the month of April for a new letter prompt to spawn my deranged ramblings! ;}
Nina D'Arcangela
Sotet Angyal 
April 5th, 2013 at 3:05 pm
“Your reflection ripples with equal beauty…”
That says it all.
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April 5th, 2013 at 3:40 pm
🙂 Thank you, Julianne!
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April 5th, 2013 at 7:19 pm
Nian,
I can imagine that beautiful bird! Seems egrets don’t mate for life like some birds.
I see you are a cemetery stalker. I am too but for different reasons! My G post is about graves. It’s not dark and scary and full of tension though. I am sure, with the same title, your post would be entirely different!
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April 5th, 2013 at 7:39 pm
I’m laughing because my G post is titled Grave also, but mine will be somewhat… grave. And yes, I am a cemetery stalker of epic proportions. I say that because my fascination began at around the age of 10 when my parent would ‘vacation’ by visiting old cemeteries up and down the East Coast of the US with a car full of kids and the family dog. Now it’s in my bones! I’ve been known to climb deep into the underbrush to find one lone headstone.
The house I lived in before this one had a beautiful pond in the yard, and there were Egrets who nested there. It was always wonderful to watch their mating season rituals. The females were very large and snowy white, the males slightly smaller and greyish in hue. They would come and sit in the surrounding trees waiting for the females to choose. It was an unbelievable sight – straight from the Discovery channel! I did a bit of factual research before writing this, and apparently some do mate for life, but not the variety that lived in my pond. Most of the year, the females walked the water, and on rare occasion, they flew over it. They truly are spectacularly graceful birds.
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April 5th, 2013 at 10:49 pm
you portray the Egret in all it’s many reflections
a beautiful, stately bird
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April 5th, 2013 at 10:59 pm
It is a magnificent bird. Thank you, Leslie 🙂
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April 7th, 2013 at 6:28 am
Beautiful words! Your description of a simple bird is so poetic – great imagery as well!!
Terri
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April 7th, 2013 at 1:26 pm
Hi Terri! Thank you very much!! They are inspiring to watch, and I miss no longer having them in my yard. Now I have deer, wild turkeys, and a slew of other creatures. 🙂
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April 7th, 2013 at 12:51 pm
Lovely, Nina! 🙂
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April 7th, 2013 at 1:14 pm
Thanks, Joe! 🙂
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April 8th, 2013 at 5:36 pm
You may just get me to appreciate birds with this one. 🙂
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April 9th, 2013 at 3:37 pm
Depends, is the oven set to 325? ;}
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