On the Norfolk Broads

It’s never silent among the reeds
and water lilies: inquisitive swans

gliding in a boat’s wake hiss
and honk; there’s the bittern’s boom,

an otter’s splash, and a breeze
whistles through overhanging leaves.

Passing boats rumble, blast their horns
by the bridge, the tide slaps

at moored-up craft rocking
and swaying in the moorings.

But at sundown, everything is quiet
in anticipation of an owl duet,

when deer and foxes start to bark
their own night music in the dark.

Kim M. Russell, 14th April 2025

On day fourteen of this year’s NaPoWriMo, the featured resource is the online gallery of the Rijksmuseum, and the optional prompt inspired by a poem by Kay Ryan, entitled ‘Crustacean Island’.

“Ryan’s poem invites us to imagine the ‘music’ of a place without people in it. So today, try writing a poem that describes a place, particularly in terms of the animals, plants or other natural phenomena there. Sink into the sound of your location, and use a conversational tone. Incorporate slant rhymes (near or off-rhymes, like “angle” and “flamenco”) into your poem. And for an extra challenge – don’t reference birds or birdsong!”

I couldn’t avoid the birds, there are so many around here!

Also linked to Mish’s noise prompt at the dVerse Poets Pub on 26th August 2025.

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