Christmas

Here's a poem from Billy Collins that celebrates the wild aspects of this holiday season:

Christmas Sparrow    

The first thing I heard this morning
was a rapid flapping sound, soft, insistent –

wings against glass as it turned out
downstairs when I saw the small bird
rioting in the frame of a high window,
trying to hurl itself through
the enigma of glass into the spacious light.

Then a noise in the throat of the cat
who was hunkered on the rug
told me how the bird had gotten inside,
carried in the cold night
through the flap of a basement door,
and later released from the soft grip of teeth.

On a chair, I trapped its pulsations
in a shirt and got it to the door,
so weightless it seemed
to have vanished into the nest of cloth.

But outside, when I uncupped my hands,
it burst into its element,
dipping over the dormant garden
in a spasm of wingbeats
then disappeared over a row of tall hemlocks.

For the rest of the day,
I could feel its wild thrumming
against my palms as I wondered about
the hours it must have spent
pent in the shadows of that room,
hidden in the spiky branches
of our decorated tree, breathing there
among the metallic angels, ceramic apples, stars of yarn,
its eyes open, like mine as I lie in bed tonight
picturing this rare, lucky sparrow
tucked into a holly bush now,
a light snow tumbling through the windless dark.

From Nine Horses, by Billy Collins

Photo by Kai Schreiber

Comments

[Genju]

Thank you, Barry! Many warm wishes from my family to yours!

Lynette Genju

[neurobi]

May all beings be happy
May all beings be healed and whole
May all have whatever they want and need
May all be protected from harm, and free from fear
May all beings enjoy inner peace and ease
May all be awakened, liberated and free
May there be peace in this world,
and throughout the entire universe.

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year.

Wholeheartedly, neurobi

[Suzanne]

Thanks Barry for all your hard work this year. Your blog is one of my absolute favourites, even if I think Zen dwells on the appearance a bit much!

But what an appearance it is.

[Barry Briggs]

Thanks for your comments, everyone!

Suzanne, I also think the blog reeks of Zen just a bit too much. This is one of the changes I'm considering for the coming year.