What it’s like to be interviewed on American television – and how it made me think of home...

CBS NEWS.

A Polish birthday party where all identities began with ‘J’ spawned more

John McEnroe’s than many could handle, and Judges and Jokers

And the man at the meal who asked if I’d seen the local wolves,

Since I am a wolf-lover with owls. He did not know I was born

Within howling distance of a London wolf pack. As we digested,

Protests in London for attacks on Gaza to cease laid claim

To a Remembrance Day to honour the dead, who’d fought for peace.

Where I live is too far from London for too many friends, but now

If they type in ‘CBS Frieda Hughes’ they’ll see my interview

From US TV; parts of me are open to scrutiny, as my book about George

Reels me back into the lamplight. I caught his happy little magpie life

In my kitchen on film, teasing my dogs, quizzical in the face of a camera,

And now he’s being shared with a whole other country. He was my gateway

To owls, and now my owls are in America, visible on other people’s screens,

And so am I. And on Instagram, on Facebook, on X-formerly-known-as-Twitter,

And on YouTube. Overnight, George garnered attention, and attention

Was his joy. If he were here, he would polish his feathers until they shone.

He would stand centre stage – his favourite place – and wait for applause,

Then bow gracefully in his magpie way and offer you

His most treasured possession; a red rubber band.