The pink flamingo is the national bird of the Bahamas, and is most common to the country’s southern-most island, Inagua. At first glance, it is quite a remarkable-looking creature. Its bill is perfectly angled in order to collect food when it sticks its head into the water. What looks like its knee when bent backwards, is actually a flamingo’s ankle. Its elegant feathers are a rich pink because of the largest part of its diet: shrimp!

Many people don’t know, but flamingos tend to be monogamous. Before choosing a partner, male flamingos ritually gather in a pack and perform a dance for onlooking females. During the performance, heads turn, and feet move in rhythm as the males swiftly move in order to attract a female. After the show, an impressed female will pair-up with her male partner, bringing a most beautiful concert to an end.

The Dance of the Pink Flamingos is a symphonic poem depicting images of flamingos during their mating ritual: dancing, romancing, consummating, and roosting.

Dance Of The Pink Flamingos

Jitneys & Cruise Ships is a symphonic poem written from the perspective of a cruise ship passenger. After his ship docks at Prince George Wharf, he begins his walk down the coast. He is greeted by spirited Bahamian music as his senses capture the views, sounds, and overall culture of the island. He continues his trek and is taken aback by the beauty of the ocean, marine life, and people. 

He then pauses and takes a moment to breathe it all in. It’s still: the birds fly over and the rays of sunlight gently bathe his skin. He walks along the waterside to see colors that he has never seen before, reflected in the water.

He makes his way downtown where he sees many people moving like characters in a story: people taking jitneys, crossing the street, and smiling and greeting one another. A police officer directing traffic grips his attention: his directions, swift and efficient, control traffic like dancers in a ballet.

The visitor once again stops again to take in all the beauty around him. He cancels out the busy sounds of the city as he gazes at the sky. The sounds of seagulls flying overhead, and the aroma of the salty air calms him. He is suddenly pulled out of his relaxed state by the blast of the cruise ship’s horn, beckoning passengers to return to the ship. He rushes to make it to the dock before it leaves without him.

All is well as he makes it to the ship and leaves the island, looking back at the beauty that he had an affair with for but a while. His gaze lingers on the island, eclipsed by the setting sun, as they both slowly disappear into the horizon. Having just left, his heart already longs to see it again.

Stefan Thompson

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