This morning I stopped by Josh's memorial bench in the cemetery. I've planted impatiens and coleus around its base and, once again, it offers a splash of surprise color to anyone who steps away from the main roads and wanders into the woods.
A persistent scold of a call alerted me to the possibility that a bird had taken up residence nearby and might be agitated by my presence.
Sure enough, a house wren is nesting in the dilapidated bird house that sits atop a pole behind the bench.
Unobtrusive, nondescript, almost invisible. But insistently present and full of life.
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If you'd appreciate a more extravagant approach to Pentecost, this is a portion of the arrangement in the local Jesuit church this afternoon:
(The wren is a Fish and Wildlife Service photo. The floral arrangement is from my phone.)
There will no doubt be plenty of more extravagant expressions of the Holy Spirit, because today we tend to celebrate that fiery side to the Spirit. But for me, my daily experience of the Spirit is much as you describe here. Unobtrusive but persistently present. Your celebration is much as I find the Spirit herself. Pithy and to the point and with a dash of the dramatic, should I look to see it.
ReplyDeletesorry to differ, but while their looks are not flashy, the song of a wren is as extravagant as any flower bloom in my garden
ReplyDeleteYou may differ with pleasure.... we don't have wrens where I live so I didn't know but we do have many nondescript birds who make their presence felt.
ReplyDeleteBut perhaps knowing this now I will have do a Fagin and think about this again
Statoz - oh YES, when they are singing - but this bird wanted me to leave!
ReplyDeleteAnd that's part of the point: that such a small and modest bird is known to sing so beautifully.