wintah, summah, snow er shine

Song (Wintah, summah, snow er shine)
BY PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR

Wintah, summah, snow er shine,
Hit's all de same to me,
Ef only I kin call you mine,
An' keep you by my knee.

Ha'dship, frolic, grief er caih,
Content by night an' day,
Ef only I kin see you whaih
You wait beside de way.

Livin', dyin', smiles er teahs,
My soul will still be free,
Ef only thoo de comin' yeahs
You walk de worl' wid me.

Bird-song, breeze-wail, chune er moan,
What puny t'ings dey'll be,
Ef w'en I's seemin' all erlone,
I knows yo' hea't's wid me.

prayer beads

Maybe the berries on a cedar tree 

are prayer beads for you, the birds and me. 

In traditional Native American medicine, cedar berries are used for their diuretic, antibiotic, germicidal and antiseptic properties. But don't overdo it; too much is toxic.

The birds get it. Here is a sweet video (2:50) of cedar waxwings (so named for the berries they eat), catbirds and robins eating cedar berries, accompanied by a lovely recording of Erik Satie's Gnossiennes No. 1, performed by Agathe Laforge. I saw my first bluebird in one of our cedar trees.


 

but tomorrow, dawn

“But tomorrow, dawn will come the way I picture her, barefoot and disheveled, standing outside my window in one of the fragile cotton dresses of the poor. She will look in at me with her thin arms extended, offering a handful of birdsong and a small cup of light.” 

― Billy Collins

small swans

welcome, ducky

Lesley's dove

I can't tell if they're geese or cranes

You've gotta click or you'll never see them.

three small turkey heads

tree swallow

mourning

Rest well, Aime, my friend. I'll miss you.