2027. It was the Rainbow gave thee birth © Bruce Goodman 19 January 2021

This is a personal reflection which could be construed as a story. Outside my window, especially in the early mornings, there are usually two or three kingfishers sitting on the fence looking down into the long grass. Suddenly one of them will swoop down, gather something, and return to the fence. Presumably they are looking for insects or lizards or worms or whatever. I like them. At primary school we were given a poem to learn off by heart by William Henry Davies called The Kingfisher: It was the Rainbow gave thee birth, And left thee all her lovely hues; And, as her mother’s name was Tears, So runs it in thy blood to choose For haunts the lonely pools, and keep In company with trees that weep. In all my years I have always wanted to find a kingfisher’s nest and never have. They peck a tunnel/cave into a dirt bank and raise a family in there. The local farmer said that at the back of his farm there is a bank where the kingfishers have their nests. And then… Just out my window, on a clay bank, a pair of kingfishers pecked a hole! They dug a cave and presumably laid some eggs. I didn’t like to go too near lest a disturbance drove them away. Things settled down. I rarely saw the pair but could hear them calling all the time with their repetitive call. Meanwhile the bank below the hole was collecting more and more poo. That’s all there is to see. No sight of babies, but poo poo poo. A hole in a bank, repetitive calls, and poo poo poo. I’ve always been a bit of a romantic. Contact Author Back to Index Next Story Previous Story