lonely cries in the night
on northern lakes
I know loons are found all over North America, but I associate them with northern lakes (which are their breeding grounds). Their lonely, haunting calls, perhaps early in the morning or in the middle of the night, fills me with a strange mix of sadness and joy.
Their calls (cries?) take me somewhere, perhaps sleeping in a tent, lakeside, when I was eight or ten years old. Perhaps somewhere deeper, older. I have distinct memories of canoeing, slowly approaching a loon only to see it dart under the water, to avoid being too close to us, but also to fish. Seeing them emerge from the water is incredible – they are such large, impressive birds, graceful and sleek. They are perfect.
By the way, this is the first in the ‘postcard‘ series. These are small-ish (5×7″) watercolours done with a black border, and with a typewritten haiku or phrase. These will be gifts but some of them will also be shared on this blog for all of you.
The loon one ended up with a different haiku than what is written above, here it is:
© Christopher M Buddle 2024
Nature's Reverie 