This poem is taken from Stand 224, 17(4) December 2019 - February 2020.

Roberta Swann Four Poems
Hunger

I went along on one of Brian’s nature trips, this time to Ramsey Canyon Preserve in Arizona. It’s known as ‘The Hummingbird Capital of the United States’, because it has more varieties than any other spot in the country.

We were lucky to lodge in a broken-down bungalow. People visit from all over the world to experience the unique and abundant wildlife. But I was hot and hungry. The toilet wasn’t working. And those loud incessant hummers grew annoying as mosquitoes, especially the violet-crowned ones.       

I soon got over my sulk, and we joined a guided hike in search of the elusive trogon. Everyone but me had bird books and binoculars. I was just there for the walk. But the ponderosa pines were beautiful. When I stuck my nose into the bark it smelled like vanilla cookies.

A nice Italian couple showed me a photo of the trogon and gave me a bag of trail mix. I lagged behind eating, but stopped when a heard a sound overhead. Looking up, there was the elusive trogon looking down. Wow! The others were nowhere in sight. On my way back to the visitors’ centre, a coati mundi crossed my path.
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