Watch it!

A race it has become to tick off a bucket list,
bird watching a pursuit now for a brief tryst.
A lens and memory card are all that we care,
exploration lost out to detached quick affair.

Whither the curiosity what a bird is up to,
puzzling why it did that just before it flew.
EV ISO shutter speed f-stop all set aside,
just a sharp memory in minds open wide.

Why the feathers ruffle how they pacify,
probe the habitat where wings love to fly.
A pensive Halcyon bird rumbles deep inside,
linger around a bit if you want it to confide.

[Framed: A white-throated kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis) at Aarey Forest, Mumbai]

– Narendra Nayak © 2022