In Memoriam
A grey, blackish, brackish day in London. A day where the clouds begin and the rain ends and there is no sun. A day where death stalks us on the pavement, and where a black pallor hangs like a shroud over London.
There it was, or rather, there you were, a dead bird on the pavement. Shuffled to one side, out of the foot fall of walkers, mothers and children you were tucked against a wall, legs clenched up to your chest, beak finally silent and wings held close.
Why?
Did you give up? Was the cold, the grey sky, the lack of food, the predatory cats that roam the streets too much for you? Was the sheer adversity of living the ultimate enemy?
I hope that you, as you lie in complete stillness, untroubled by the flow and eddy of human life around you, dream of warmer blue skies, where you fly free in the whispers of wind. I hope that you are surrounded by a nest of birds, where you and your lover coo to each other in the shimmering leaves of the trees, where warm bark rises to meet you as you swoop and spiral the breeze.
Just to let you know that you are missed, that your death, whilst meaningless, has not been unremarked or unnoticed. You have, even with your death been loved, been mourned and been seen. You are forever marked on this page as something which whilst apparently a small event, is a symbol of the final passing which comes to us all.
Sleep well, sweet blackbird.
Minerva
9 comments:
Many years ago I watched a robin build a nest on the branch of a tree just outside my pantry window where soon there appeared 3 perfect little blue eggs. I watched with some excitemen eagerly waiting them to hatch, but my story has no happy ending. One bright morning as I was watching while doing the breakfast dishes, a large black crow swooped down and quickly made a breakfast of all 3 eggs. I was angry until I realized that life is a scavenger hunt for crows and one day they might not be able to hunt or fly like the wind.
Dear Minerva...Just came up here to say hi and here I read such a tender post!
You are a caring soul, thinking about a little lost bird.
God has the same gentleness with his little creatures.
And if He loves them so, then that means He loves us too.
"Red and yellow, black and white,,
All are precious in His sight!"
Luke 12:6
“What is the price of five sparrows—two copper coins ? Yet God does not forget a single one of them.
This is a song the children sing in Sunday School and your post reminds me of it..
"God sees the little sparrow fall,
It meets His tender view;
If God so loves the little birds,
I know He loves me, too.
He loves me, too,
He loves me, too,
I know He loves me, too!
Because He loves the little things,
I know He loves me, too.
He paints the lilies in the field,
Adds perfume to each bell;
If He so loves the little flowers,
I know He loves me well.
He loves me, too,
He loves me, too,
I know He loves me, too!
Because He loves the little things,
I know He loves me, too.
God made the little birds and flowers,
And all things big and small;
He'll not forget His little ones,
I know He loves us all.
He loves me, too,
He loves me, too,
I know He loves me, too!
Because He loves the little things,
I know He loves me, too.
Jesus knows what it means to be lonely. This verse says it all and he understands the pain that you are going through and even so you can be so loving of a person, Minerva..
And God know how much your friends love you and are praying for you dear one..
Psalm 102:7
I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top.
Always thinking of you...Love Terry
For goodness sake! Don't make me cry! I feel bad enough as it is ..... a couple of months ago, on a day I wasn't feeling particularly great, I was driving along and slowed for a pigeon to move off the small road but it just didn't fly up at the usual speed and I ended up thwacking it with the corner of the car. The ball of fluff lay twitching its last on the side of the road. As there were a group of people stood nearby that I didn't like the look of I drove off. I felt really bad - so that is how some birds end up dead ..... maybe someone lifted the blackbird onto the pavement so it wouldn't get further squashed?
Liked your piece very much, but dead birds usually seem to bring out the worst in writers, don't they? Here's WS in his obscure mode:
"..There's a special providence in the fall of a sparrow. If it be now, 'tis not to come; if it be not to come, it will be now; if it be not now, yet it will come: the readiness is all: since no man has aught of what he leaves, what is't to leave betimes?"
What a load of old cobblers! Fortunately H. was interrupted by the entrance of KING CLAUDIUS, QUEEN GERTRUDE, LAERTES, Lords, OSRIC, and Attendants with foils, &c.
Otherwise he might have drivelled on for another couple of stanzas.
Why do birds die? I don't understand it. They are a permanent fixture of life, of the cosmos, and yet they do. It makes no sense...(like the day in '97 when the autumn storm flattened seven great elm trees in Barnes where I lived)
I actually saw one die once. I forget now what kind it was, but it was flying along and it just suddenly fell out of the sky, dead, onto the ground. A heart attack? Who knows?
I thought at the time...there are worse ways to go than whilst flying, doing what you were born to do...
I think you are more attuned to the death of anything at the moment, and you write about it so well.
Oh Minerva, you've articulated far, far better than I could what I feel whenever I see a dead bird.
Even at the ripe old age of 38having seem death many times as I was raised and continue to live on a farm, even being an ordained ministers wife and being taught that "faith" is the cornerstone of our existance..... I still struggle with death. In some opinions, this might mean I "doubt"the presence of God...but I think it merely makes me human.Jesus himself struggled with death in the garden before he was crucified. So why cant we?
Aw Minerva, that was truly a sweet post. I wanted to stop by and wish you a good holiday season. I'm leaving for Thailand, (where I will post from) next week and won't have another chance. Be well and try to have some fun! xo
LAST GIRL ON EARTH
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