The Moorhen Pond Poem by Francis Duggan

In Spring in pond in grove by the old streamlet amongst the reeds the moorhen built her nest
A bulky mass just above the water level of flags and long dried grass the material she liked best
On which to lay her six to ten buff eggs with light brown speckles she and her partner busy every day
Feeding their first clutch of dark chicks with ruddy faces who hatched out in the early days of May.

Of humans, dogs or cats the parent birds were wary and they chirped aloud when they sensed danger near
And their tiny chicks they quickly swam to cover and in the reeds from sight did disappear
And when danger passed again they were out swimming and the parents always on them kept an eye
In the old pond a natural thing of beauty and a natural thing of beauty is a thing of joy.

The Council claimed the grove for roadway widening, cut down the trees and covered the moorhen pond with fill
And where birds once sang only sounds of passing traffic and
Nature's voice in that spot was forever still
And the moorhens disappeared from there forever and for their departure human progress was to blame
And that wild life lose out due to habitat destruction a reason we should hang our heads in shame.

I still recall those lovely baby moorhens though that must have been forty years ago
They disappeared due to habitat destruction and what happened to them I was not to know
For I'm not knowledgeable in the workings of Nature and Nature is still a mystery to me
Only know when you take our home from us we become homeless and the bird becomes homeless when you take it's pond or tree.