No matter what dramas play out in the human arena, in the spring I can find rejuvenation in the natural world around me.
We left the city of concrete and asphalt 12 years ago and moved to our modest town in the country, where nature hasn't disappointed us. We have seasons here.
This past month the oaks have fully leafed out with fresh green leaves. The hills are undulating fields of green. The vineyards are busy churning out new shoots. Wildflowers are brushstrokes of purple and orange and yellow.
A pair of blue jays have set up housekeeping somewhere nearby. I saw a robin yesterday. The woodpeckers are busy in the oaks outside my glass writing room. The air is alive with the movement of doves, hawks, crows, mockingbirds, and finches.
I love this cycle of nature. It's bursting with fresh life, life running rampant all around, life you can hear, and see, and touch. When the world is too much with me, I can focus on the resurrection of life all around me, and it builds my faith that all is as it should be in God's world.
Dead Wood Resurrected
Blue jay restless
as a cat in heat
hopping from foot to foot
in the dead pyracantha
with its black trunk
and fire-scorched leaves
sheared off shoulder high
That blue jay bird
breaks off brittle twigs
and spits them out
one twig, two twig, three twigs down
the fourth twig suits
And off jay flies
to build a nest
one damn twig
at a time.
Aha! It’s back.
And so’s its spouse
who alights in a nearby cherry tree
to observe this twig connoisseur
at work
Blue jay hops from twig to twig
in the dead pyracantha
picking only one
And off they fly
to build a nest
one dumb twig
at a time.
At day’s end
I check the bush
still black and scorched
killed this winter
by fireblight
(damn it all to hell)
I find it stripped
of all its twigs
by blue jay birds
who’ve built a nest
one dumb twig
at a time.
P.S. The photo is not mine; it's from an educational site.
17 comments:
ha. one dumb twig at a time. know what you are saying about this season though...enough to send dry bones a dancin...
I like it better when it is "One damn twig at a time" as opposed to "One dumb twig at a time"
And off jay flies
to build a nest
one damn twig
at a time.
And off they fly
to build a nest
one dumb twig
at a time.
Any reason for the change or was it simply lost in the edit Chris?
ahhh, Chris!! this is beautiful. love the image. love the poem. love your words."It's bursting with fresh life, life running rampant all around, life you can hear, and see, and touch." ... that is so very true!! hugs :-)
When I come to your blog I get big deep breaths as a gift of reading and absorbing the photos!
Thank you!!!
Hi, my friends!
Let's do a survey. Who else thinks I ought to change "one dumb twig at a time" to "one damn twig at a time" throughout?
This morning, the bird song was so loud I found that sleep was over! What beautiful sounds to wake up to...Nature is in full swing here up north.
Your poem is wonderful, Chris...so glad you're enjoying your move to the country!
Great words. I've lived in cities and the countryside. When I was younger the latter bored me, but now that I'm older, the countryside is where I've settled.
Smart bluejays, building one at a time. One step at a time. Not so dumb.
Smile. We have bluejays here doing the same and robins scrounging everywhere in the back yard carrying off twigs and pieces on the ground. Nice writing. Your spirits seem to be lifting as you write about the season of new growth.
I love the humour that trills throughout this poem. I think you should leave it just as it is. The damn and the dumb give subtle changes in the meaning which enhance the poem.
Hmmm, damn the dumb birds whose nest falls apart, like the Mourning Dove. And dumb the damn birds who sing in the middle of the night, like the Mockingbirds.
Ha!
I'm so glad that you have your sanctuary to live in and renew your spirit in...we all need sanctuary.
As for the survey...either dumb or damn is fine, but consistency suits me best. I'm a little OCD though. :)
I too moved out of the suburbs to the country in 1989 and haven't regretted a moment. We built the house and have enjoyed gardening and all the wildlife that come and go. Life in the country is great.
I like small twig instead of dumb or damn. It's the little things that add together to make something grand.
fun take on a damn twig...
beautiful post!
I really love the beauty of the Spring as well. I grew up in a small community in Kentucky and it's always good to get back to that feeling. Thanks for the reminder.
I like the one damn twig at a time as well. Great post.
I want to be where you describe.
AND I love your poem.
PG
Awesome poem. I love the voice. If you leave "dumb twig" in, I'd still like it. But I really love the "damn." It's a great ironic twist to use with the word "Resurrected."
Other lines that are fantastic:
"hopping from foot to foot
in the dead pyracantha
with its black trunk
and fire-scorched leaves".
The resurrection of life in the midst of the fire-scorched leaves is beautiful.
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