Just for the fun of it

I.J. Hall
May 9, 2004


I’ve been sitting here under Sun on the West End Bench for the past hour waiting for a poem to come. But so far all I see is the poetic movements of the same fish, birds and ducks about which I have written dozens of poems.

Even that huge bass has been eulogized by this pencil.
Hector came back yesterday, but he is old news; [a handsome osprey]
his fifth consecutive year.
As we move to the single post bench for inspiration
I notice the pine trees are growing
Stoutly bulging through their bark,
but that is barely grist for my mill.
Cocoa has found something fragrantly dead
to roll in; hardly worthy of a verse.
I decorated Buddha with gold trim;
the wat is gradually looking authentic. But who cares?
Snow White laid another goose egg
since the first four didn’t hatch.
The two all-black sister chickens escort
their brood; another 13 chicks for the menagerie.
The two new ducks are chasing about
gorging on cotton from the trees
and rapidly growing to maturity; both female so far.
Lightening clouds are building from the same thermal
that is taking a huge Eagle soaring;
coasting up to 1,000 feet, apparently
just for the fun of it…

So I can just keep moving around just for the fun of it too!
…and there it is; my inspiration! How welcome after all.
I can just walk around here just for the fun of it.…..
Like the newly hatched swallows flying.…..
Even the wind has come up for no apparent reason.
This concept probably explains most of these animal behaviors
.…..or so it seems.
The scrub jay found the corn I put out just to see it.
The Buddhist gong is ringing repeatedly.…..
I seem to be the only one who didn’t at first recognize
this lofty motivation.…..
Oh! I dropped my pencil accidentally, and return for it.…..
but at least I know what to look for and why.
When I find it, I feel the same satisfaction as when-
after the last few months of searching-
I see the Western Pond turtles for the same reason
Climb up the east log. First one….. now two, bask under Sun
lounging on the center log for a long time,
teaching me what “for the fun of it “ means.
His square snout stretching up, he moves laboriously
Carrying probably 20 years of his life on his back-
Much as my problems and mistakes weigh heavy on me-
She is lounging more relaxed, enjoying warmth and his care.

Then that same Eagle, most likely, flies directly overhead.…..
Circling too close; makes Abner squawk to sound alarm. [White Chinese Swan Goose]
We sneak upstairs to fetch the camera to capture the turtles.…..
And so the day progresses on this happy course.…..
After all.