DUET Judie Peet March c. July, 2000 ============================= In all the silent woodland nothing moved nor did the man within the sheltering pines. He waited with expectant hope until a tiny bird flew close. He saw the lines of white that streaked its tiny head, and it, confiding, bent to see the man so still-- so man watched bird and bird in turn watched him. Unbidden then, soft notes from mouth and bill rang through the bush--a magical duet of man and pardalote, till each one paused . . . perhaps in wonder at the splendid sound. The man stood stunned, in awe of what he'd caused. Remembering, he knows when man and bird sang that duet, a miracle occurred. ======== "The bird in this poem . . . the Yellow-rumped Pardalote . . . . is a particularly engaging and confiding little bird that often shows an interest in its observer, coming to within an arm's reach, at head-height. The event did happen; as the observer called to draw the pardalote closer, the bird too began to call . . . to the surprise of both." [Editor's note: The "Yellow-Rumped Pardalote" is now considered a subspecies of the Spotted Pardalote (--tcg).] ======== ========