Swifter than swifts, the years fly,
time drifts
and shifts
passing dove-soft and eagle-fierce. Cry for
generations lost
mother gone, but sisters here,
my cygnets grown swan-regal; adoring and adored,
I’m fortunate
to have love, wisdom, goodness—
feather-winged treasures, these women,
the bird-goddess sings.
For dVerse, Sarah asks us to use the word swift in a quadrille. It is also International Women’s Day 2021. The theme this year is Choose to Challenge, so this is a small tribute to my mother, sisters, and daughters, who have all challenged life and norms in some way. Ingrid at Experiments in Fiction is doing an International Women’s Day Challenge.
Yesterday and today: Merril's historical musings 
Thank you for joining in this celebration of the women in your life with your quadrille, Merril! I love the way you describe your daughters:
‘ my cygnets grown swan-regal; adoring and adored’
Thank you, Ingrid. 💙 Can you tell I love them? 😏
Absolutely 😊
A wonderful tribute, and a fantastic poem to celebrate the day.
Thank you very much, Carol!
Reblogged this on The Wombwell Rainbow.
Thank you, Paul!
Wonderful poem! Perfect poem to mark this day!
Thank you so much, Linda!
Love all the bird imagery… but most of all the cygnets growing to swans.
Thank you very much. That is my favorite part, too. 😀
love this:
“feather-winged treasures, these women,
the bird-goddess sings.”
A flock of Kerfe’s bird-goddesses is coming into view ❤
Thank you very much, Lisa. Yes, Kerfe’s bird-goddesses definitely fit here!
You’re welcome 🙂
love this combination of prompts, makes it a really delightful tribute!
Thank you so much, Kate!
Beautiful verse
Thank you!
Lovely the way you blended the challenges. Well done.
Thank you so much!
Great stuff indeed, Merril; response to prompt AND homage to mothers & sisters. Well done, Sister!
Thank you so much, Ron!
This is lovely, Merril.
Thank you very much, Ken.
Cheers to the women in your life and to the good women of WordPress.
Yes we (still here) do have a lot to be thankful for in the face of the pandemic
Happy Monday, thsnks for droppkbg by to read mine
Much💜love
Lovely tribute.
A beautiful tribute to all the strong women out there who make a difference in the world! Love the mother gone, but sisters here
Thank you very much, Dwight!
I knew you would do this beautifully! I love this. Hmmm… I might just unbin this challenge after all…
Thank you, Dale. ❤️
Go for it!
We shall see… Working on abhang…thanks to you!!
Hahahaha.
Trouble maker
Awww… that’s so sweet, Merril!
Lovely!
-David
Thank you so much, David!
A woman who is “dove-soft and eagle-fierce” is a “feather-winged treasure” indeed! This is a lovely tribute to the women who’ve gone before, Merril.
Aww–thank you so much, Lynn!
Happy Women’s day!
Thank you! To you, as well!
I’m so annoyed that I missed Ingrid’s challenge yesterday, but I wasn’t well and struggled to complete my quadrille in time for dVerse. I love your tribute to the women in your life, Merril, especially the rhyming and gentle tone of the lines:
‘time drifts
and shifts
passing dove-soft and eagle-fierce.’
Thank you so much, Kim, for your kind words!
I’m sorry you weren’t feeling well, but you can honor women any day. (And Ingrid probably won’t mind if you link to her.)
Ah, Merril, this is so beautiful. You made my eyes prickle and my skin tingle. I love your use of bird metaphors through the poem – such great contrasts, but all tied together. it’s lovely.
Thank you, Sarah. That is a lovely compliment indeed! 💙
A lovely poem, incorporating generations present and past. The cygnets line is wonderful
Thank you so much, Derrick. Perhaps I was influenced by your swan photos. 😀
That is nice to think 🙂
😀
Thinking of your women as birds gives them a grace and strength outside our human limitations. Beautiful.
Thank you very much. Of course, you would like this–or I’m glad you did–you know what I mean. You, Kerfe, the Oracle. . .
Of course—same mind set 🙂
😀
I love this celebration of the love you have for your mother, sisters, and daughters. The bird goddess does indeed sing.
Thank you so much, Liz!
You’re most welcome, Merril!
Beautiful poem, Merril. The years do fly, don’t they?
Thank you, Jill. Indeed they do.
I can identify with SO much in this lyrical verse, especially “mother gone, but sisters here,” Birds are graceful, resilient and strong, like all the feminine influences in my life just as my memoir reflects.
Lovely, Merril, and so appropriate for the theme of this month.
Thank you very much, Marian. Yes, you definitely have and have had some strong and resilient women in your life.
Lovely.
Thank you!
Brava, Merril …..
Thank you very much, Helen!
“feather-winged treasures, these women” I can feel your adoration here. Loved this tribute! 💝
Thank you so much! ❤️
I too love the phrase feather-winged treasures. You are rich in people. (K)
Thank you, Kerfe. I am rich in people! I love that.
You are!
❤️
beautiful! They fly, like their mama and your mama before …
Aww–thank you, Susan!
Nice poem
Thank you so much.
To the bird-goddesses in our live – past, present, future. BEAUTIFUL.
Thank you! 💙