Marion Chudley
I was born in West London and have two sons. I am a teacher and I retired to the Highlands in 2023. I have sung in choirs almost all my life and since retirement I have enjoyed creative writing groups.
Migrating Geese
Contented on the busy lake
The geese feed, preen and quarrel.
Then as daylight shortens, temperatures drop
And imperceptibly the mood shifts.
Restless flurries, rising chatter
Echoes across the water,
Till a moment’s stillness
A sensing of momentous decision.
A swift whisper of fresh breeze,
And a pair take flight with strange intensity.
No idle circling, swooping, chasing,
They rise and fly, wings beating in unison.
Purposefully soaring, necks stretched,
Strong pinions driving north, high and straight
Following the primal instinctive urge,
A thousand miles, a million wingbeats.
Fearless skeins pass like phantom planes
And the lake settles to silence,
Awaiting their return