Ballard of a Mallard

 

Ballard of a Mallard

By Deborah Sharma

In the serene Autumn Sun’s glow,
Bathed in the sleepy soft golden flow,
As glistening on mallards’ velvety heads,
Their vibrant lush green plumage spreads,
To capture fleeting nourishing sun beams.
They hastily waddle by shimmering streams,
Pecking persistently in fervent hope,
Searching urgently for ways to cope.
As woeful Winter eagerly edges near,
How will a hungry desperate duck fare?
Amid scarcity and starvation dangers,
Is the hope of kindness of strangers.

~ Deborah Sharma

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I was inspired to write this when walking on a trail, practically mesmerized just watching the ducks and how they interact with each other.   

They have a strong sense of community, and their simplicity made me feel like I was over complicating my life.  Their one concern was survival as a group but I also saw love in their community, a non-judgmental, unconditional love.  Which made me reflect on my own relationships and my expectations of others.  Feeding them showed me how much they trusted a complete stranger yet afraid if I got too close.  This made me ponder that I could also be hesitant of getting too close to situations/people that may appear harmful from someone that genuinely wants to help me. Even if that someone helping me is in fact myself, because I feel safe in the familiar, yet I know there is another part of me that wants to explore. 

Lastly, I admired their unwavering focus on the present task and situation at hand, and though we may be a more intelligent species, with our thought processes, this can sometimes work against us when we stress about them. I found it fascinating how nature can reflect many of our deepest attitudes and characteristics, and I recommend this deep observation, in fact writing this poem felt like I had to become a duck, it was a meditative experience!