Hundreds of birds
fly fast and low
skimming over the water
wings waving like
flapping flags flying.
Suddenly the front line
slows and slips
into the water
diving question marks
as they curve and plunge
one row after another
the water swirls
and they surface again
one row after another.
The pelicans follow
dipping and scooping
with their pouchy beaks
deep down
as they lift their wings
clear of the water
to keep them dry.
The shags stand on the rocks
or the river wall
wings outstretched to dry.
The pelicans rest beside the river
rows of oval shapes
pouchy beaks tucked in
under large white wings.
Copyright Sandra Roe
Roe Pix & Poems 
Impossibly beautiful! Your poetry visits me here in California and opens the windows to another world. Thank you!
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Oh thank you, Elana. How lovely. I am happy to be able to share my love of Australian wildlife. What I didn’t put in the poem is the fact that these birds are fishing in Perth Water, which is just in front of the city skyline. We have diverse wildlife right in the city.
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