Museum Gardens

 

Here I held Henrietta, 

Eurasian Eagle Owl. 

My arm still aches from her weight, 

and I can still see her orange eyes. 

Henrietta, you could have flown 

these streets many centuries ago. 

You could have alighted on 

St. Helen’s Church on Stonegate, 

or on Clifford’s Tower. 

Children would have pointed, 

a whole generation of owl-lovers 

born that day. 

You could have overseen 

the building of York Minster. 

But Henrietta, you fly 

outside of time, 

and leave us only feathers 

to remember. 

Ruth Yates

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