‘War Poetry’ – a d’Verse poetics prompt
OOOP! OOOP! OOOP! OOOP! your haunting calls, dire warnings ere impending falls, unheeding ape-men charging tall, ignoring farsighted soarings OOOP! OOOP! OOOP! OOOP! you've studied death, counted those countless muddied breaths, swooping, swiping with bloodied sneath, men's legions life-and-limbless OOOP! OOOP! OOOP! OOOP! this hallowed Land, sought endlessly by shallow men, mauled bodies from green gallows hang, you ~flutter~ 'bove friendlessly OOOP! OOOP! OOOP! OOOP! harbinging croon; was it crowned bird's unhinging tune that left this sand Land tinged in prune, seeped deeply dark in Cain's sin?
d’Verse
At d’Verse, we were asked to pen ourselves new war poems. No matter our personal experiences, we all fear what war can do. Maybe it’s something we’ve met in the eyes of refugees, in our nightmares, or from reading books…
The hoopoe, the national bird of the State of Israel, where I proudly reside, inspired my war poem (above). For more on that, see below.
Hoopoe: harbinger of war?
The State of Israel’s national bird is the hoopoe, which I alluded to in my d’Verse poem yesterday. In response, my poet-blogger-friend Björn just informed me that in Swedish, this creature is known as ‘härfågel’, which is loosely translated as: ‘army-bird’.
The hoopoe actually gets its English name from the sound it makes while singing. The song is a deep, haunting ‘oop oop oop’ that has led to the bird being associated with death and the Underworld in Estonian tradition. The song itself is said to forebode death. Across the majority of Europe, it was thought of as a thief and as a harbinger of war in Scandinavia…
-Lexi Menth, ‘Crown of Feathers – Hoopoe’, 2015
Hoopoe: magical, medicinal bird?
For the purposes of my “war poem” above I deliberately address the hoopoe as a harbinger of death and war, but it is only fair to note that this elegant bird is regarded very positively in most cultures, including throughout the Middle East and in Islam.
The bird known as the hoopoe… has been a common motif in the literature and folklore of eastern Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cultures, from ancient to modern times. As a solar symbol, it was often associated with kingship, filial piety, and wisdom, and its body was believed to possess potent magical and medicinal properties…
-Timothy Schum, ‘From Egypt to Mount Qāf: The Symbolism of the Hoopoe in Muslim Literature and Folklore’, 2018
Still…
Still, Björn’s comment to me regarding the hoopoe in Swedish lore excited my imagination and reminded me of the following animated video, which puts the bloody history of the “Holy Land” to music:
The formatting of this poem was perfect. The bird sounds mixed in with forewarnings was ingenious. If people were not greedy, wanting all lands for themselves, we wouldn’t have war. Thanks for the background on the bird, and this amazing poem.
You are very kind, Sara, truly.
❤
David
This is such an authentic and poignant write! The hoopoe looks incredibly majestic in a way!
I think so too ❤
Thanks, D.
Yours,
David
Stunning piece, my friend. I love the structure of your poem and the repetitive sounds of the hoopoe!
Thank you so very much, Eugenia. I deeply appreciate your kind support.
❤
David
I had never heard of the Hoopoe. .I had to read it a second time after understanding what the hoopoe is. The final line is so very powerful.
Lillian, if it weren’t my national bird, I wouldn’t have heard of it either 🙃
I really appreciate your kind comment.
Thank you,
David
an amazing education post David, we have learnt much
Thanks, Kate 💗
I’m glad you enjoyed it!
-David
your adopted country seems to be perpetually at war so not surprising this is your national bird … peace be with you!
Yes & No.
The Israelis who picked the hoopoe did not pick it because it symbolized war. They probably did not know about that because that’s a Scandinavian tradition regarding the hoopoe.
In the Middle East, the associations with the hoopoe are all positive, from what I’ve read.
Still, I used the Scandinavian symbolism because, yes, Israel is perpetually in a state of war, and the imagery fit my message very conveniently 😀
Yours,
David
I lived in the Himalayas for years and met many of your soldiers in what we called Little Israel when they visited to party hard on their war wages after six years service …
If you met soldiers who served for 6 yrs, they had done much more than the mandatory service, which is about 3 yrs for males.
think they get addicted to the adrenaline rush …
Do you mean those who do longer service?
yes, they certainly party hard in India … real hard
That is them letting off steam. It’s not addiction to adrenaline, it’s the first time they have been their own people after years of being ordered around. But, yes, Israelis have this rite of passage, and many do tend to get wild on their international adventures, sometimes in embarrassing ways.
An interesting and diverse post, David I love your use of onomatopoeia and the juxtaposition of the bird with death. The bird sound video is an engaging addition. A bird sound that I was not familiar with.
Thanks so much, Michele 😀
I felt that including the bird sound was important for fully appreciating this particular poem!
-David
I agree, it did just that. I was considering adding a porpoise sound to my poem yesterday, but could not find a suitable one in the time I had to look. I love that you did! 😄
What an original poem to match that bird! I enjoyed learning the history! 💕
Thanks, Tricia 💗
-David
This follows my recent meditations on the nature of hate. I like the last line of your poem. I also like your onomatopoeia of the birdcall. I did one too in my Red poem. Engaging.
Thanks so much, Brian! If your ‘Red’ poem is available publicly, I’d love to read it.
Sincerely,
David
I think it is up. I have it on public.
when I go to brianhodgkinson.wordpress.com it gives me the message that:
brianhodgkinson.wordpress.com is no longer available.
ahh .. try http://www.jesusperson.blog
that works 😀
Great. Thank you my friend.
Wow… great poem. And really interesting and educational commentary.
That is very kind of you, Kate. Thank you so much for the support.
💝
David
I love how your poem was inspired by my little comment… and now I know even more about the Hoopoe… and its so interesting the different viewpoints of this bird.
Björn,
I know it’s weird, but I actually felt that I had to write this poem after seeing both your comment regarding the hoopoe and your d’Verse prompt, one right after the other. I couldn’t get this idea out of my mind – anything else would have come from somewhere other than within me.
Yours,
David
Fascinating poem, notes, animated video, sound of the hoopoe …. thank you so much for sharing.
Helen,
Thank you so very much ❤
-David