ice duck

pulling a poem out of the ice: a collage of photography, acoustics and spin-off verse (could yours be a warm up for greater things?)

birdsong and waterfowl acoustics from the lake pictured

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Anas platyrhynchos (mallard), 13 January 2025. Lifespan average 3 years. Conservation status in the UK: amber

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Male Duck Contemplating the First Complexity of Winter

Before the frozen lake
the mallard hesitates
a moment:

'Miles of frost
on this lake - 
but the ice's my own.'

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English version of two haiku used for the spin-off poem above:

1.

Before the white crysanthemum
the scissors hesitate
a moment.

 - traditionally attributed to Yosa Buson (translated by Robert Hass), but here's an interesting article arguing for Sōseki's authorship of this well-known haiku.  


2.

Miles of frost
on the lake
the moon's my own.

- by Yosa Buson (translated by Lucien Stryk / Takashi Ikemoto). Read more about Buson here

Where will your collage take you?

xxx