The Wonder of Feathers
by John Herlihy
The wonder of feathers
Of touch, of breath, of sound
Bluejay feathers, hoopoe feathers
Beating in the heart of wings profound
The heaviness of gravity to defy
Through the blue heavens to fly
The sound of beating as breath
Her hands as soft as feathers
His hands as gentle as feathers
Feathers brush the flower's heart
Feathers steal the lover's heart
Feathery, an idea finally told
Oh, as light in the mind to hold
Feathers in light – light as a feather.
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Copyright © John Herlihy
Saturday 10 January 2026
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It is only recently that scientists have found that many dinosaurs had feathers. And those feathers were probably no less wonderful than your poem suggests for those creatures millions of years ago.
Ron