I believe that "My Blue Hen" by Ann Gray is a thoughtful poem that talks about nature, who we are, and
how time passes. The poem starts with the speaker singing to their blue hen and feeling close to it. They
mention a fox taking the hen's lover and tough conditions in nature, showing how life can be hard for
animals. The speaker also says they are like different birds, a blue heron, and a hyacinth macaw, which
shows how they think about their identity. They talk about stars affecting our lives, like when different
animals are in the stars at different times. This connects human life to the universe. The poem talks
about how nature has limits, like the sea can't change its tides. This might mean that some things in life
are fixed or destined. They say there's no one "now" and that a field of dandelions has many answers,
showing how time is flexible and people see things differently. The poem mentions a dog as a lighthouse
and a zebra finch dreaming its song, which means nature affects how the speaker thinks and dreams.
They also bring up a Mayan midwife singing songs to babies, showing how culture and tradition shape us.
The poem gets personal as the speaker wonders about what they could have been if things were
different, like a tree. This makes us think about how our choices and experiences shape our lives. It ends
with a touching memory of a special person. "My Blue Hen" is a deep poem that talks about nature, who
we are, and how we think about time and our lives. It helps us see how everything in the world is
connected.