My Father Made Friends with a Hummingbird Recently

November 19, 2020  •  Leave a Comment

095-PICT8326095-PICT8326Lillies of the Valley...Pond.

My Father Made Friends with
A Hummingbird Recently!

By Sanford Widran, (c) Aug 2020

 

My father made friends

with a hummingbird the other day.

They found each other adorable,

they both love to play, every day.

When my Dad rolls out in his back yard.

 

There is the same hummingbird

working really, hard.

Fluttering its wings very quickly

To sip the sweet nectar

From the hole in the mouth

of the Red Jar, disguised as a flower.

And, to rest after

the bird will stop by, As it goes

Vipppy, Vippp, Yipppy Vippp

from side to side.

To check you out

eventually to reside, and

show it’s pretty

shiny dark breast.

As it lands near by

Upon a twig in the tree

Quit near and

Next to my Dad and Me.

 

They would look each other

up and down real hard

To see the other carefully

And study what the other

Might do next, the moment brief.

But the quick gaze is just enough

To size the other up neatly.

And see what each of the

(My Father and the Hummingbird)

Other was wearing, sweetly.

And, I could swear that the Bird

Was draped in a shimmering

Purple and Gold Jacket!

So, it must have been a Laker Fan!

At least, they smiled so each

could see the other’s face

And feel safer, with one another

if ever so briefly.

And then off it goes yonder

Quickly darting high into the sky

And landing like a Daredevil

On the tall dark side

of a Palm Tree not far,

in the shade from the sun,

so it can rest now and hide.

With the heat and sun’s rays

so bright and intense

Until another time the bird

will take flight again sometime later.

 

As if it’s now energized

From cooling off so long

While keeping a keen eye out

It circles back around

To start the dance all over again.

The food of course it’s main purpose

The Red container still awaits

although standing, still, sitting, right there

out in the open in the direct sunshine,

all the time, all day long. Easy

to keep an eye on from Near and Far.

Don’t even Dare to come by

Another hummingbird or two

Might even try though. And before your eyes

Can even register

that friendly bird of yours was

not so nice to any Other

body with wings, that might not care!

The sound of the two or more birds

going at it was quite strange

as they went Vippy VIP, Vippy VIP

super quick.

And my Dad’s new friend returned

when it was secure

And the food source went undisturbed.

This was this little “guy’s” territory

So, you can’t just come waltzing in

for a quick drink without being

suddenly chased and squawked at

incessantly, at last.

“Move out of here fast Buddy

This my new friend’s place.”

And so again like he/she bird does

Every day now and settles on a limb, nearby

Each time my Dad comes outside to play.

They stare each other up and down

and so, wonder...

What might happen next?

 

Ooooh, there’s that other

pesky bird again already

as they chase each other up and down

for Air Superiority, a challenge which

Is never quite clear….

Is that the Same Hummingbird?

Over here? Hmmm....

Over here now on the twig?

With the super proud and shiny Breast

The Purple maze and glow intensity

all around looks pretty much

the same.

So, is this one,

my Dad’s little Friend?

Who won that battle?

High in the sky, rather here nor

there, they disappeared.

And only one returned to drink

from the super sticky jar with the

sweet nectar. Sure, it must nourish

that tiny body enough that's

built like a battery with storage.

Its energy within like a kite above

With wispy zippy wings!

Around it goes, and around again,

each time

through its familiar ritual.

From Shady Palm Tree to

Suckle honey from the mouth

Of the Red Upside-Down Jar,

And back again

Over to the Twig on the tree

Nearby my Dad and Me.

 

His Hummingbird friend takes

A break periodically to stop

Flapping its wings and gather

it’s strength

from all this new-found

energy source. Again, and again

to enjoy the sweet flavor,

if ever so ever, so briefly and neatly.

For another moment still, until that

pesky other Hummer shows it also

has a pretty face and wings again too.  

But, of course the endless chase

Begins and ends

To protect this special source

of delicious Life-Giving fruity fluids.

In this scary desert so hot

it’s amazing these little feathery creatures

can even survive. My Dad is amused

at the acrobatics these hummingbirds can do.

They can hoover so perfectly

right in front of you, flapping wings

left and right so fast that become invisible.

If only we could fly too!

Thought someone long ago

Studying birds in flight to

Understand the sight

of gravity and the danger, we might face.

For (Wo)Man to leave the ground

With just a little sip of fuel for energy

So, it seems

Just like a bird can or so Do. (does)

Although a Propeller HELPS too!

 

My Dad used to fly!

No - not Combat Jets

But overhead wing Cessna planes

He received his Visual License

to fly at his will. And then to keep learning

more and more, taking lessons still

then “Under the Hood” without looking

outside the cabin except

for the instrument panel and switches

and gear to fly the plane within

any condition without fear. But, he never

quite got there, all the way through

On completing his Instrument License, I hear.

 

He loved the freedom

the airplane provided to chase

the line on the horizon, to soar

and loop through the cloudless

blue sky, without even falling apart!

Himself too, mentally or physically

or physiology. The fun he says

is in the Practice STALLS,

while riding really high

in the sky, and then falling

endlessly it seems, back to Earth

completely recklessly now.

The stall turns the plane upside down

just to make sure it’s harder

for you to recover while spinning

out of control down…. down really, fast.

It feels just like your stomach

has been relocated,

The blood pumps so loudly through

your brain, while you're trying

to think this out clearly!

What is going to happen next,

is going to happen really fast

so, you better remember what to do

this time and next, if there is one.

 

Wake up! Here goes......

as you quickly ease back on the Throttle

All the way back without killing the engine

mid-flight. Then straighten the Airlons

Left and Right and back to Center,

while stomping your foot

on the opposite Rudder direction

to flatten your spin and then ever so ever

Gently pull back on the Elevators

Steering Handle Yoke

To “Pull Up, Pull Up” screams

the Stall Horn in your ear.

The dials are all spinning

In uncomfortable ways

As the intensity of the gravity

pull, thankfully, begins

to lessen now

bringing the flight more gradually

into flat space riding still high

enough, in the sky.

Then move the Throttle forward,

back to Normal position for proper air

flying speed, once again.

Whew…. we made it through,

another one of those Mind-Bending

events just to make sure you know

what to do and learn what it feels like!

To Recover up there

when you are up there all alone

in space, and must know

many more lessons just to find

your way home again, safe.

And make it back quick

to the correct Landing Strip!

 

Just like my Dad’s friendly

Hummingbird does each day

when it returns, Sitting

for a while to cool

On a nearby Twig!

All steady and calm

Then wings begin

The zippidy dash.... again,

To retrieve a sip of food

from the sweet jar and back.

From here to there, again and again

Every day now when my Dad

comes out to play in his backyard.

 

They are regular good friends now

that makes my Father smile and amused 

for quite a while, with tickled pink cheeks

at the sight of the Purple Hummingbird’s

breast. And certainly and thoroughly enjoyed,

by the seemingly calm of the rest and

the fun of each other’s rouses!

 

My Father Made Friends with
A Hummingbird Recently!


By Sanford Widran, (c) Aug 2020

 


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