of swamps and ponds, they bob
their heads,
do a kind of waddle Cha-Cha,
inching forward, living
flame-pink lawn ornaments,
devouring
algae and other tiny morsels.
Baleen, bowhead, right whales—
all are filter-feeders.
As are clams, oysters, mussels,
small petrels,
but not the stately (ungainly?)
flamingos,
though long thought
to be so. Their heads
plunge in and out
creating vortices, mini-
twisters. Underwater,
they clap their beaks
like castanets (chattering,
it’s called), the nourishing
insects and small crustaceans
upwelling in a weather
of their own creation.
(Science Times: May 20, 2025)
.
Boyer Rickel
Picture Rupert Loydell
.