Flamingos today
Blue skies and empty sand, made umber by the rain
has cleaned and rinsed the day, now luminous, back-lit
Marsh to the edge of the sea, drained in lines
bright lemon-lime the reed-beds spread
far as the eye can see
channels where the sky lies drowned
no cloud, white of the seabirds massed, gulls and ducks
egrets picking their path
mountains of shining salt
This is the place layed out in the sun
an artist's dream of perfection
where some from the Arctic, Norway, come
fleeing the chill in the air, the dropping of night, loss of sunlight
so many birds all met
swallows and rollers mythical storks, for respite en route to the south
And here for the winter, flamingo
pale to brighter pink
all in a line, catch one taking flight
finishing flourish, light touch
an artist's dream of perfection
October 4th 2014, Gruissan/ Hounoux, for Clare who spotted them.
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