I believe in birds. Maybe that’s because I was born in the spring. I fervently believe that “hope is a thing with feathers.” For me, no more poetic lines have rung true than those of Emily Dickinson. Throughout my life, I have often found solace in birds. One of the first books I read had bird characters with whom I empathized. And one of my favorite bird characters is Jeremy the crow from Robert C. O’Brien’s book, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. Jeremy is curious and kind, and I love his natural humor. I am lucky to live in a place filled with birds. I wake up to noisy battles between wild turkeys and resident Canada geese. This morning, the geese won, but that is not always so.
I wonder while watching an active bird feeder, “Why are they not fighting?” They seem to take turns: jays and cardinals, then doves, then chickadees and dark-eyed juncos. When they are finished, the squirrels dart in quickly, and then are replaced by the geese or turkey, whoever is in the neighborhood and gets there first. I’ve seen a daring jay dive and swoop at a hungry hawk, all the while sounding a harsh alarm for the smaller bird citizens. I wish the human world could learn a thing or two from the birds.
Every winter, I am awed by the tenacity of little birds. The bitter winds and ice-covered branches don’t seem to deter them. I’ve learned a lot about determination and strength from birds. And when winter has me in its icy grip, and I feel like I can’t go a moment longer without some green, spring comes shaking her frilly little head. The birds return with their hope-filled songs. I think of them as angels returning to earth to share delight, to show us that one day soon we too will have wings.
My inspiration for “Nine Song Birds” comes from NaPoWriMo, or National Poetry Writing Month: 30 Poems in 30 Days, which was created by Maureen Thorson. NaPoWriMo. Today, they suggest writing a poem in the form of a nonet, which is a form I became familiar with last year. I enjoy playing with words within parameters. It stretches my mind and imagination.
My inspiration for “Common Warbler” comes from Verse-Love, Ethical ELA, which was created by Sarah J. Donovan.supplied the inspiration for writing a poem as a song. Dixie Keyes’ poems reminded me of a poem I wrote called “Common Warbler.” Dixie the Director of the Arkansas Delta Writing Project at A-State, a National Writing Project site.
Common Warbler A bird – dusty drown Barred wings, Bright yellow breast, A perfect display of colors. She’s lying dead near the garage door. I stand over her staring at her lifeless beauty. Goldfinch? Oriole? No, just a common warbler, I find some garden gloves and a trowel, Gently pick up the golden warbler, And walk across the street down the hill To the woods at the bank of the river. I dig a deep hole underneath a magnolia tree, Place the bird in and cover her with dirt, I find stones to place over her grave, Flat gray ones, piled in a circular pattern, A testament that she was here, Flew free for a while, As I return up the hill, I begin to sing.
Word Dancer: Literature, the Arts, & Education 