Saturday, August 30, 2014













MARIA A. ARANA
Only Live in Americas


beautiful
tiny ballet dancers
flex shoulders
allow wings to bend
backwards

seem to float
rather than fly
perfectly balanced
in the air

internal
navigation system
help them conquer
skies
whizz by
like jets
stopping traffic

speedy little bird’s
metabolism
stuck in overdrive
heart
beats superfast
(even at rest)

constant feeding
on thousands
of flowers
keeps them on the move

swift
aerial dogfights
have birds
defend flower patch
for survival

they dine on nectar
while hovering
and become pollinators
for plants
           
from long bills
to curved bills
to short bills
like a key to a lock

between flower plant
and bird’s bill
evolution
plays a role
in amazing adaptations

dull feathers
surface observation
but in light
magnificent colors
shimmer
shine

flash
created by special cells
in feathers
not pigment

they can perish
in their sleep
so at night
they lower temperature
vital signs
like hibernation
to save energy

long migrations
track resources
adapt
flexibility
key to survival
as long as habitats
and food sources remain

Hummingbirds
can live in the Americas
for about twelve years
so let out the feeders
witness their brilliance

No comments:

Post a Comment