A Cormorant Flew Over the Lagoon

A cormorant flew
over the lagoon,
its primordial profile shone
back from water
blue-green as old copper.

The cormorant landed silently

on the shore, pecking at stones
and shells to crack,
emitting a swallowed grunt
as it took off again, back
over the lagoon.

Kim M. Russell, 8th January 2024

Image by Kristin Snippe on Unsplash

It’s Monday, the day for writing quadrilles at the dVerse Poets Pub, and Melissa is our host with the word ‘lagoon’, which she tells us is a shallow body of salt water connected to a larger body and separated by barrier islands, coral reefs, or sand bars. She says that the word comes from the Latin lacus, and the first known use of lagoon as meaning ‘shallow sound, channel, or pond’ was recorded in 1673.

Melissa has also shared poems about lagoons by Emily Pauline Johnson and William Logan, the latter being about a place I love: Venice. Today we too are writing poems of exactly 44 words that include the word lagoon.

51 thoughts on “A Cormorant Flew Over the Lagoon”

      1. So much richness in here for me, Kim! Cormorants for me have represented the quest, the searching, and the diving deep. Your evocation of those coppery colours is magestic my friend!
        Love to you at this Thin Time xxx

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  2. The ancient silence that the cormorant very existence exudes breathes so powerfully in your words, Kim. So wonderful. I remember my father pointing out cormorants to me when I was a child in India.

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  6. Kim, your Quadrille paints a vivid scene of a cormorant flying over the lagoon, with imagery that resonates with the beauty of nature. The description of the primordial profile, the blue-green water like old copper, and the silent landing creates a serene and captivating moment!

    ~David

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  8. What a great picture to accompany your poem. I really like the title. And I love “water
    blue-green as old copper.” What a wonderful description. You really capture the magic within moments. Thank you for writing.🩵🌊

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  14. I’ve never thought very highly of cormorants, but this poem has opened my mind some. Or maybe I don’t have to like them, but I definitely like how your poem describes this one with astute detail, is a great quiet snapshot of a moment on a lagoon.

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  21. I love cormorants. Here they have the knick-name Shags, and the common saying – like a shag on a rock (abandoned and alone) they do seem to enjoy their own company. This evokes a number of feelings and images.

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