Dipping into the hearts of flowers—
She darts so eagerly, swiftly, sweetly
Dipping into the flowers of my heart.
~James Oppenheim
I participated in More than Meets the Eye, Margaret Simon's photo poetry exchange. Thank you, Margaret! And thank you to Jone Rush MacCulloch, who sent me a photo from Oregon of an Anna's hummingbird. Once I looked up Anna's hummingbirds, I was sunk. It was too interesting! I had a hard time stopping my research.
An Anna's hummingbird
by Jone Rush MacCulloch
I found fascinating facts about the hummingbirds themselves, which are the fastest animals on the planet. During their mating rituals, the males will fly straight up over a hundred feet and swoop powerfully down, making a burst of noise at the bottom. Scientists found that when the hummingbird "pulls up at the end of the swoop it experiences forces 10 times the pull of gravity – more than even experienced jet pilots can endure without passing out." I should write a poem about that, or the fact that they are also the fastest shimmy-ers in the world (a slow motion camera "caught the birds performing a micro-shimmy that is 10 times faster than a dog shakes after a bath.") But I got side-tracked by the story of Anna, the Frenchwoman the hummingbird was named for by naturalist René Primevère Lesson. I couldn't help but explore that bit of history.
A bird for Anna
On a four-year voyage
around the globe,
René catalogued land creatures
like the kangaroo and boar,
but the ones that
lingered in his mind
were the ones that soared--
stunning birds-of-paradise
and the remarkable
flying jewels--
hummingbirds.
Anna was a princess
and the empress'
mistress of the robes,
the foremost lady-in-waiting.
Anna's husband François studied birds,
collected thousands.
Like his wife, they were captivating,
bright, bejeweled,
catching the light,
sharp and
surprising.
Although Audubon
described Anna as a
beautiful young woman,
extremely graceful and polite,
René would be the one
to name a shimmering
specimen for her.
New World bird,
a hardy soul
who remains all year,
named for an
Old World princess,
who also stayed home,
beloved of traveling men.
*****
Reflections on the Teche has the Poetry Friday round-up. Thanks, Margaret!
Wow--wonderful storytelling here! (So wonderful that I don't have to go and look up any more information right now, for which I thank you, Tabatha!) I like how you didn't kuite* write about the actual photo but about your research, which is so you--and also I'm curious about that form I see in the first two stanzas. Nice!
ReplyDelete*my cue key is unreliable!
See, this is why poetry is brilliant: now we don't have to do all the research you did! Beautiful story of Anna, and what a lovely way to be remembered... shimmy-ing jewel indeed! Thank you, Tabatha (and Jone!). xo
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing the 'rest' of the story, Tabatha and focusing your poem on that long ago Anna. Hummingbirds are fascinating, and a lifelong dream is to discover one of their nests, just to peek at it. I saw several once at a hummingbird enclosure in the Tucson Desert Museum, but that's different, though they were wonderful. I love the 'in and out' of your lines in your poem, with just a bit of rhyming. It seems to mimic the flight of hummingbirds!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous description and story about Anna's hummingbird in your lyrical poem Tabatha! I loved learning about the history of the bird and her connection with René's wife. Describing them as
ReplyDelete" bright, bejeweled,
catching the light, and
"shimmering"
is perfect, I've painted a handful of them and that's how they are–so stunning! Jones pic is beautiful too, thanks!
Bravo! What a lovely poem that brings me a story I never knew before. I love the flying jewels.....what a gorgeous pairing your poetry with Jone's photography. I think we all should do this again sometime.
ReplyDeleteTabatha: Your poem, the picture, the research into hummingbirds and how they got their name... all if it fascinates me. Thank you for sharing it. Also, it reminds me of a wonderful book I read this year: To the Bright Edge of the World by Eowyn Ivey. If you get a chance to read it, I think you will see why. I recommend it.
ReplyDelete"Fascinating" is the right word! I think your poem about Anna is the beginnings of a book... I've always been fascinated (there's that word again) by hummingbirds; they're such beautiful, tiny beings. The facts you shared are new to me, very impressive!
ReplyDeleteThank you for introducing me to how Anna's hummingbird was named. Who knew? I love researching about what I write about. And the whole idea of the shimmy speed and the speed at which they dive is incredible.
ReplyDeleteThere's so much to love in your post--the information about hummingbirds, the history of Anna, and your poem itself. Wow!
ReplyDeleteHow interesting! What was the show I saw recently on PBS that featured Anna's Hummingbirds and other animals' fascinating mating rituals? Can't remember specifically, but I'm sure it was on Nature. I love how your poem delves into the history and describes so beautifully the connection between this bird and its namesake. Wonderful as always, T!
ReplyDeleteWow! I love it when I can learn from such a beautiful poem. Your words sing and tell and story. Thank you for sharing all you learned on this poetic journey!
ReplyDeleteWow! An amazing photo, an amazing story, and an amazing poem! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI knew about Anna's hummingbirds, but didn't know a thing about the reason for their name! Thank you, Tabatha, for gracing us with your poetic response to a beautiful photo and all your research. Killer last line, by the way.
ReplyDeleteYour poem is both beautiful AND informative!
ReplyDeleteI love the story - and the beautiful way it's been told, as well.
ReplyDeleteI know I visited here and read your poem, but I must've not left a comment. Sorry. This poem is a lovely mentor text for me as I work on using research to write poetry. This story flows and invites us in to knowing about the princess. Thanks for participating in the exchange. I loved reading all the rich poems.
ReplyDeleteI saw my first hummingbird of the season today! And now I know about Anna's hummingbird through your poem which combines the knowledge of the bird with its naming history. Thank you!
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