Feeding ducks is a small and childish delight,
not on par with, say, the frighteningly exciting experience of going to camp
but not insignificant in any of our childhood wanderings.
Feeding ducks is the way we learn there are hours
to be frittered away with the small things, the things that do not talk back,
the things that are tucked away in a less-traveled part of your world.
In feeding ducks, you can let your mind wander,
float up and away, above the water and all the way to the sky,
without any one to say “don’t” or “no” or “because I said so.”
When you feed ducks, you can practice your whistle
or you can say silly things to the waddling and quacking birds
or you can even be silent and listen to the rhythm of your heartbeat.
When you feed the ducks, your world stops for that time.
You do not have to be anywhere else, you do not have to remember your lunch,
you do not have to go to practice. All you need is to be there, food in hand.
Feeding ducks is a small and childish delight,
one that we should never forget for in its simplicity
we learn the preciousness of time spent dreaming, of time to be just us.
***
You were supposed to comfort me today....
in your pursuits, your lounging, with similar...
and dissimilar kind.
My birder friend says that some of you show
distinct evidence of crossbreeding within species.
And today you were supposed to comfort me,
but it is hot, “much warmer,” the on-line, Underground
Weather Channel predicted, for the passing of this
day...and it was right, and the heat is steadily rising.
(It has been three days now.)
And you have buried yourselves in reeds, creating
textures of feathers, between bent, bending , streaks
of green, still trying to reach upward, toward the sky.
And, everywhere, there are signs saying ‘not to feed you.’
And in my pocket, there is a small packet of crackers,
the kind I know you like from before...and when I scatter
them, discretely, you rush to me, and I take pictures of you.
Such a scrambling, and a settling again. It is another world.
You were supposed to comfort me today,
but...instead...today there will be no rushing
to devour, to savor. Too much heat too long...
and you, none of you, has the stomach for it.
***
Children ages 6-12 months, Mothers 18-35 years:
Mothers hold the child saying “See the duckies? Quack, quack. Can you say quack quack? Shall we feed the duckies? See, I have some bread in the sack.” She struggles for a minute between holding the child and trying to get some bits of bread, then throws the bread toward the ducks. The child may or may not say “duck” and probably holds out a hand to try and duplicate what the mother did.
Child 1-3 years:
Mothers put the child on the grass while getting bread from the baggie tucked in a large carry-all bag. Child immediately sees a duck sleeping by a bush and runs toward it, maybe yelling “Geronimo!”in the process. Mother yells for the child to return which takes some time as he is chasing the duck that is trying to escape to the pond.
Some children will debate if they should go into the pond itself to get the duck while the mother runs to pick up the child before he falls in the mucky water.The child cries, then spends approximately 3-5 minutes actually feeding the ducks.
Child 4-7:
The child shows interest by choosing duck feeding instead of the swings or slides. Mother now brings slices of Wonder Bread rather than bread broken into pieces.These children may start breaking the bread for the ducks but keep a vigilant eye for a sleeping or walking duck that will cause them to drop the bread and give chase with an expression of pure joy on their face.
Children in this age group will notice sudden activity between two ducks and inquire, “Look Mommie, what are they doing?” “Just playing, darling. Let's go get some popcorn.”
Child 8-12:
These children are not naive and have watched a lot of TV and seen many ads. Passing a duck pond, they are reminded of the duck activity, observed some years ago. ”Hey, Mom...” and point at the ducks.“Well dear, They put Viagra in the pond to give the males a boost so there will be more little ducks here for us to look at and feed. It also gives them exercise because those feet paddle so easily calories aren't burned, and the ducks get lethargic and don't bother the females.”
“You mean they don't have sex? And what does lethargic mean?”
Mother clears her throat. “That's right dear. I think we'd better check the parking meter and put in another quarter. Let's go!”
Child as a teen-ager: (and wouldn’t be seen with his mother.)
Child with a couple of friends – always is seen in the company of friends.
This is like a fair or circus to them and feel they must try to hit as many ducks as possible by throwing rocks, acorns, clumps of dirt, toward the duck . Their aim is better than when throwing bread bits and the ducks squawk loud enough that the patrolman comes to investigate. Kids see him coming and scatter quickly only to find some way to tie the swings together or to see who can knock over a garbage can with just one kick.
They are no longer interested in ducks.
Children grown to adulthood:
The teens grew up to be lawyers, shopkeepers, and newspaper editors. Some have offices that overlook landscaped areas with duck ponds. They enjoy the view of calm ducks gently swimming and have no guilty memories of their teen activities. Women now have at least one child that is taken frequently to feed the ducks.
***
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