Author(s): Bev Fitzgerald

Poetry

T his collection of poems aims to introduce the reader to the richness of birds and the need to care for their world. The poems bring to life their beauty, their song and the intriguing and sometimes funny behaviours as well as their remarkable skills, especially in nest building. The poems are presented in a loose semblance of order beginning with the signifier poem, Unbounded Air, followed by the shorebird poems noting the urgent need to address their threatened habitat. This environmental theme continues in many of the poems. When we are more attentive, we see birds in all environments. Travel gives opportunities for fresh discoveries, particularly in Australias distinctly different environments. A number of poems reflect this happenstance. Yet, it is at home in our gardens, nearby parks and waterways where we really see birds up close. Many of the later poems represent the richness and diversity that surrounds us if we take time in our own patch.