The story behind the poem: Ode to a Young Screech Owl by Trish Hopkinson

Trish Hopkinson, the author of Moment Poetry poem #7, is one of the few poetry bloggers we followed even before launching our own project. We find the energy and enthusiasm with which she provides her readers with valuable information from the literary world truly inspirational.

She was one of the first people we reached out to when we launched Moment Poetry and also one of the very few who not only replied but helped us in a huge way by sharing our project with her readers. The resulting interview provided an incredible boost as submissions started pouring in soon after it was published.

The publication of “Ode to a Young Screech Owl” coincides with the beginning of spring. It is a poem about the simple and often cruel beauty of nature. A poem which makes us look at our lives through a different lens.

Trish also provided some background to the poem:
“We live in the foothills of the Wasatch Range and often have small wildlife, a wide variety of birds, and occasionally deer in our yard. A few years ago, we started hearing and seeing a small owl perched in our ash tree at night. Not long after, my husband discovered a mouse pellet that he described to me in detail. The owl continued to visit for the next couple of years on occasion and we noticed it had grown. I did some research on owl calls to determine it was indeed a screech owl. Thinking about the relationship between the owl and the mouse and my own relationship with what feeds me and challenges me emotionally, inspired this poem.”

Photo credit: Trish Hopkinson