poetry

Kokoro

Owen took this photo. Kokoro is the local name for the Togian hawk-owl, which was first described in the scientific literature in 2004. We saw this little owl several times at Bahia Tomini. The staff called this individual owl Kokoro, which is also the sound this species makes.

Kokoro

little Kokoro
materializing from black sky and palm leaf
a tiny spirit
to watch over our evenings

he sits quietly
never even murmuring his name
watching us with
round golden rings of alert eyes
his blade of a beak
a still secret
in the middle of his sweet gentle face

tonight he appeared
close enough to touch
wanting to not be missed
inviting us to say hello
and when Cedar stood alone with him
and whispered a kind greeting
Kokoro cocked his little head
all attention and understanding
fully engaged in their
friendly tête-à-tête

poetry

Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl

Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl

on a bare branch
directly along our path
in the last sunset light a camera needs
beneath the blue-white glow
of a nearly-full moon
he perches casually
as if we’ve conjured him
as if there were anything else we needed
as if we hadn’t been awed enough

our pink eyelids blink back at his
and our jaws hang open
our lips forming a wowed o
for owl