What if a hundred rose-breasted grosbeaks
blew in circles around your head? What if
the mockingbird came into the house with you and
became your advisor? What if
the bees filled your walls with honey and all
you needed to do was ask them and they would fill
the bowl? What if the brook slid downhill just
past your bedroom window so you could listen
to its slow prayers as you fell asleep? What if
the stars began to shout their names, or to run
this way and that way above the clouds? What if
you painted a picture of a tree, and the leaves
began to rustle, and a bird cheerful sang
from its painted branches? What if you suddenly saw
that the silver of water was brighter than the silver
of money? What if you finally saw
that the sunflowers, turning toward the sun all day
and every day -- who knows how, but they do it -- were
more precious, more meaningful than gold?
Just this week I had a conversation with someone who asked "What is it you want?" I answered: "I would have that singing cardinal come down to the screened in porch where we are sitting and ask to be let in. Then she would come sit on my arm and allow me to touch her." My friend suggested this would be against the bird's telos and if a bird did such as this, we would lose his or her's wildness. I believe my friend was arguing that the bird is so very precious just the way she is, if we could but just see her as such. I believe that I too was arguing the same thing. I just did so by telling a story about a bird who desires to be with me, for that is all I desire - to be with birds, to be birds. Oh how I'd live with such heart centered awareness in every moment!
How would you live if you could see the beauty around you in every moment as if it were a fantastical dream, so very wondrous because it is not a dream, but reality?
I am finally back home. All of my bird feeders were empty. One humming bird clung to the outside of my window this morning begging. I had a neighbor fill the seed and bring in the humming bird feeders. When he took the feeder off the pole suddenly my humming bird appeared and circled his head three or four times. As he came in the open door the bird came in, too. It only stayed briefly but stayed waiting for the filled feeder. My neighbor decided he didn't like humming birds because it had startled him. I on the other hand thought it was neat.
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