"The Acadian Flycatcher, not
a spectacular bird, not a great
singer, is seen only when
alertly watched for. His call
is hardly a song--
a two-syllable squeak you hear
only when you listen for it.
His back is the color of a leaf
in shadow, his belly that
of a leaf in light. He is here
when the leaves are here, belonging
as the leaves belong, is gone when
they go. His is the voice
of this deep place among
the tiers of summer foliage
where three streams come together.
You sit and listen to the voice
of the water, and then you hear
the voice of the bird. He is saying
to his mate, to himself, to whoever
may want to know: "I am here!""
--Wendell Berry, from IV, Sabbaths 2002, in Given
Gosh. That poem makes me yearn for the springs of my youth! Here, in South Bend, spring is altogether different. We catch a glimpse of what you and Berry speak of, but ONLY brief glimpses here and there.
ReplyDeleteToday, our temps probably won't make it out of the 40s and it's been raining so much that I'm watching my neighbors closely to see if any of them start building an ark.
Also, since our winters are relatively moderate and it rains all winter long, green is present here all year round. The main difference between winter and spring is the grass needs to be cut more often in the latter!
patient and beautiful and whom ever may listen or care, I am here. What a fantastic gift to this morning. Thank you friend.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing Mr. Berry with us. Such articulation for the beauty of nature. Brings me quite the calming feeling.
ReplyDeleteRT, thanks for reminding me...yes, the sesaons feel quite different on the west coast, particularly in the Northwest. I remember the difference from my Northern California youth.
ReplyDeleteWe get summer rains here. Big boiling thunderstorms. They are majestic in their power and force. And the grass goes bonkers.... There's a joke that Minnesota has two seasons, Shovelsnow and Cutgrass. :)
Thanks, and peace.
Rachel,
ReplyDeleteI am glad you are here. Thank you, friend. We must get together soon. Much love to you.
Craigers,
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you are finding a resonance with Mr. Berry. Thanks again for reading and commenting.
Since your warbler post, I have been struggling to remember a quote, I think from Annie Dillard, along the lines of little songbirds being like a concentrated little piece of the landscape. That's not doing it justice though, I will have to hunt it down...
ReplyDeleteLovely posts. I wish I were half as eloquent and articulate as Mr.Berry.
:-)
Amy,
ReplyDeleteSounds like a worthy quotation from Annie. Thanks for the effort. Yes, I too wish I was as eloquent....