Swifts, a poem

Posted byNorthwest nature and historyPosted inUncategorized

The Swifts they are a-soaring,
Very very high,
Competing for the insects,
Far up in the sky,
Screaming and a-fighting,
In the evening lighting,
I wonder if what they seek to eat,
If it tastes sour or if it’s sweet,
Or if they care because they are,
Simply creatures of pure air,
One day they’ll all fly home,
They simply don’t have the time to roam,
They don’t have time to mess about,
No worries within or without,
They don’t worry about what they must do,
They just do what they have to

A B-H

Published by Northwest nature and history

Hi, my name is Alexander Burton-Hargreaves, I live in the Northwest of England and have over two decades of experience working in and studying the fields of land management and conservation. As well as ecology and conservation, in particular upland ecology, I am also interested in photography, classical natural history books, architecture, archaeology, cooking and gardening, amongst many other things. These are all subjects I cover in my articles here and on other sites and I plan to eventually publish a series of books on the history and wildlife of Northern England.

3 thoughts on “Swifts, a poem”

  1. Hi Alexander. That is a wonderful poem about my favourite bird, the Swift.

    I launched “Save our Essex Swifts” on Facebook in April 2026 and I am actively involved in raising awareness of these birds and planning and implementing projects for their recovery.

    Save our Essex Swifts! | Facebook

    I am currently writing the content for a “Save our Essex Swifts” website to launch shortly and I would really like to include your poem if you were kindly able to agree to that. I would of course credit you.

    Richard

    RICHARD@RLCHEW.PLUS.COM

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Hi Richard,

      I’m glad you like my attempt at poetry, I never really had much aptitude for it so I guess the magical nature of the Swift must have brought it out of me!

      Of course you may use the poem in any way you want and I wish you all the best with the website, please let me know when it’s online.

      All the best,

      Alex,

      (by the way have you ever read Ted Hughes’ poem about the Swift?)

      Like

      Reply

      1. Hi Alex.

        Don’t underestimate your poetic genius 🙂 I really liked your poem and I have already included it in the draft content for my website. I will send you the link when it all goes “live”.

        Yes, I have read Ted Hughes’ poem and quite a few other Swift poems and literary references.

        Thank you again for letting me use your poem.

        Best wishes

        Richard

        Liked by 1 person

Leave a comment