“Hope” is the thing with feathers -
That perches in the soul -
And sings the tune without the words -
And never stops - at all -
And sweetest - in the Gale - is heard -
And sore must be the storm -
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm -
I’ve heard it in the chillest land -
And on the strangest Sea -
Yet - never - in Extremity,
It asked a crumb - of me.
~Emily Dickinson
Just bought another bird feeder today. Plan to fill my gardens with hope.
Happy National Poetry Month, my friends.
A garden filled with hope....how wonderful is that? Flowers are there to fill us with joy and hope daily, I love 'em! (Though my garden is sadly lacking.) I do hope that one day we'll get to see your lovely garden? In the meantime, stay warm and enjoy your feathered friends, they've received their invitations to a party to your bird feeder!
ReplyDeleteHugs to you,
Jane
The more feeders the better! Who cares if the bears do a little snacking as they come out of their long winter’s sleep? The sight of those goldfinches coming into spring plumage or that first chipping sparrow makes it worth the risk.
ReplyDeleteI have always thought bears a good subject for poetry. I’m surprised Frost didn’t write about them. Some of his lines in poems like After Apple Picking sound like they could apply to bears:
But I am done with apple-picking now.
Essence of winter sleep is on the night,
The scent of apples: I am drowsing off.
This just sounds like bear thoughts in late autumn.
Our phoebe returned yesterday & is now scouting locations for a nest. It is already looking at us with suspicion, even though it nests by our back door every spring.
So keep adding feeders and see who comes to visit this spring.
What a lovely poem! This reminds me of a detail in Victor Hugo's "Les Misérables" (which I am mildly obsessed with). The young girl Cosette was often called The Lark. Knowing that there had to be some reason why Victor Hugo specifically chose a lark, I looked up its symbolism, and found that a lark, unlike most birds, sings while in flight; the lark symbolizes cheerfulness and reminds us all to be happy. Cosette was the joy of the lives of the characters Fantine and Jean Valjean.
ReplyDeleteIt's true birds symbolize a great many things. I'm so happy the weather is nicer now so we can hear their melodious singing in the morning. I hope your new bird feeder is successful!
xo Megan
A garden with hope is the very best thing. Planting a seed gives hope to that garden. Enjoy your day!
ReplyDeleteI do have a soft spot for Emily Dickinson:) I am hoping to get a bluebird boxup this spring but it may be too late already!
ReplyDelete