A seedpod amid debris,
like hope in adversity.
a dawn bird
Author: dawnbirdau
End of summer
It’s the second last day of summer. Autumn is in the air. There’s a chill in the early morning. My feet need warmth.
I recall the warmth of the sea that encased my feet, not long ago in Jurien Bay.
The morning was tinted in muted colours. The beach, nearly empty.
When the jogger was out of sight, the seagull kept me company
I stepped off the jetty to watch the dolphins play. They enjoyed the limelight.
As if it noticed me, one flipped on it’s back and swam a length, to show off the latest party trick.
The tide was leaving. The sun arrived.
I started to see things that first startled me … a mouse?!
I relaxed. Angel wings, or perhaps a butterfly.
I realised, the pristine sand was just shells, waiting for time, like me.
There was plenty to distract me, like the honeyeater in the scrub.
The cormorant on the pontoon, in the early morning sun.
The pied oystercatcher, with mate.
As the day ended, lovers, like lovers often do, stopped to watch a setting sun slide into the sea.
Like I said in the previous post, yes I’ve travelled the world, but every morning I wake in awe, to find it at my feet.
May you do too.
Until next time
As always
a dawn bird
The little girl in me …
The little girl in me had a simple but seemingly impossible dream. She wanted to travel the world.
She visited countries, now most of them have been marked off the bucket list. She walked through gardens and museums, rich in history. She shopped for things that had value in the moment and discarded them long ago, without regret.
Yes, she travelled the world, but she had an insatiable yearning … she hadn’t seen anything as yet.
The realisation was a powerful catalyst. She wanted more than the eye could see. So she cast aside shackles and started to experience, free.
She saw colours more vibrant
than any painting in a gallery.
And when colours were muted
she found, they still told a story.
She searched for the Cape Barren Geese, at every trip to Esperance and found the giant bird, doing the impossible. Looking elegant.
Her eyes held a joey’s gaze while it snuggled deep within the mother’s pouch. It was something she only read about.
She walked with waders until they found the perfect palette for her to capture the moment.
She delighted in the ice cream pink wave of flowers, she found one day, in spring.
Yes, that little girl had dreams.
But, never in her wildest imagination did she think, Nature could generate this powerful synergy.
Until next time
As always
a dawn bird
Daily Prompt: Congregate
I recall the word congregate from early childhood and it is forever associated with the church.
Over the years, my faith has grown stronger but my church no longer has walls.
The word, congregate, means to come together. A show of unity. Seagulls do this well. I often see a white carpet in the car park near the beach in Esperance.
But, I seek the one that stands apart. The one that sets the stage for me.
Until next time
As always
a dawn bird
Starry eyed …
Years ago a friend introduced me to the work of Theodore Roszak, and a newer, more beautiful world.
Ecopsychology promotes, quite simply, the connection to wider systems that make up life on this planet and beyond. Ancient cultures practiced this as a way of life. As we come to grips with the devastation caused by disconnection and dislocation, it is vital to understand this. Underpinning this, is the yearning for connection.
I set about to find my way through the maze of work-life balance and as I did, my ‘connectedness’ to the world became stronger. I started to understand the meaning of ‘country’ and, with each step, I returned to mine.
Astronomy left me wondrous with the galaxies, planets and comets, but unattainable. So I looked elsewhere and found stars within reach.
I found them in my garden.
Viola! in the strawberry, waiting to fruit.
Among bush tracks.
Against a fence.
In the neighbour’s garden.
In the eyes of the magpie lark, as it picked through the remnants of my breakfast.
In the eyes of a sick dog, who knows she is loved.
In my eyes, when I found the heart I left behind.
And, when I walked among the ‘sea clouds’.
I found my very own Milky Way.
So I took it home, and like a child at Halloween, emptied my pockets of loot.
My astral experiences may be different but if they help you seek yours, our lives have been enriched by sharing this space. Stay starry eyed!
Until next time
As always
a dawn bird
The sorry seagull
I watched a Pacific Gull fly over the ocean to the shore.
Breakfast, freshly caught, in beak.
He rinsed the creature in the ocean, while those thug-like seagulls surrounded him.
In a flash, it was gone, and I watched a free for all.
The big gull looked on, bemused.
But, managed to get his meal back. This time the seagulls, looked on, silently.
The tide was cruel, and took the creature back to sea. The Pacific Gull looked on forlornly.
it stalked the shore
waited patiently
then turned his back
and flew back to the sea.
Until next time
As always
a dawn bird
Sea dialect
I know …
the tide is receding, when I find lines drawn between sand and sea.
they chronicle time
or memoralise life, between the lines.
The sea may leave a sprig of foliage. An oasis, when you least expect it.
Sand from far away places.
Tiny shells, from who knows where.
I catch a glimpse, a fleeting glimpse, of sand in the making.
And, as the tide leaves, I become more conversant with the language of the sea.
Until next time
As always
a dawn bird
Nature’s jewellery
As a child the word encrusted would conjure up imagery of jewels in a crown or perhaps, sequins on a garment. I am still child-like.
The word encrusted now conjures up Nature’s jewellery.
At Cable Beach in beautiful Broome, you’ll find me in an area that has a scatter of rocks. It’s a magic place at sunset when viewed from afar. It is a magical place at dawn.
The rocks covered with barnacles.
And there are sea creatures, just as encrusted.
I always visit this slab of rock. It is jewel like with barnacles.
So enthralled by it for several visits, I failed to see one just beyond, and closer to the sea.
There is life in tiny crevices. The ibis knows this.
So does the heron that walks with intent. While the seagull photo bombs, also with intent.
Above the roar of waves, I can hear the crunch of footsteps on a shell encrusted beach.
And, amid the noise and beach clutter, the tiny sand plover takes a moment to stand still.
Like me.
Until next time
As always
a dawn bird
Faith
For those who do not believe, this post may be difficult for them to understand or appreciate what faith means to someone who does. I don’t judge them. I hope the feeling is reciprocated.
I have not raised my children to be church going. I decided to live my faith instead, so they experience it.
Faith is a constant motif in my life. It is my compass. My guiding hand. My comfort. It brings me joy.
I believe whatever has happened and continues to happen in my life, is a mere piece of a complex mosaic. It may look distorted to some, and at times, to me. I don’t know what the Artist’s vision is, but I delight in each fragment that will complete the whole.
There are times my wings are tattered and I can barely hold on. These are not challenging times. They are just reminders, at times like this, faith renews my wings.
And it does.
Until next time
As always
a dawn bird
Encounters
I was driving between Dongara and Geraldton in the Midwest and from the highway at 110km/hr I glanced at the pasture on my left. Among a large flock of sheep, I saw a lamb aglow in the setting sun. I could not pull over fast enough. It was several hundred metres away but I was able to zoom in. I didn’t see the bird until I uploaded the picture to the bigger computer screen. At that time I thought some encounters are serendipitous. I’ve come to believe all encounters have the same impact if we see them as such.
There have been many people who have come into my life and continue to do so on a daily basis. Sometimes, they give me more than I give them. In the end, life looks after the score sheet. One person is worth remembering today.
I was an undergraduate student. It was a busy time with work, study and children. I had a major essay due and submission deadline was looming. I worked through the night. As was my style, I always had more references than I needed. I always wanted to read wider and present a better argument. After all, that is what is expected of a student who aimed for a place in the postgraduate program. I never lost sight of that goal. I came across an article about a man who wrote about his life and experiences of the mental health system in the US. He came from a well established family in New York and although he had a successful business he yearned for something else. He became a vegan and started looking more closely at the tenets of different religions to find meaning. The shift in this New Yorker was unsettling for his parents. They committed him to be evaluated by mental health professionals. He ended up undergoing the most draconian ‘therapy’ for years. It should have destroyed his spirit. He came out, a warrior.
I did not sleep that night. I could not. I noticed his contact address was not affiliated with any university even though the article was in a peer reviewed journal. I called international directory and got his phone number. I had to talk to him. It was 4 am in Perth. The children were asleep. The home was silent except for the sound of my breathing. I dialled his number. It did not ring but went to his “hello” immediately. I fumbled for words as I tried to tell him who I was and why I called. He listened patiently. We spoke for over an hour. It was the start of a wonderful friendship.
My friend taught me about love, tolerance and understanding. Although he never married or had children, he valued all of those things. He helped me value what was in my life and more importantly, what wasn’t in my life at that time. He introduced me to the work of Joseph Campbell (among others) and it helped me let go of what I wanted and accept what I had. What I had was an opportunity. I had the opportunity to educate myself. So I did.
He also taught me outrage was an appropriate response when people, governments, situations cross the line of human dignity. Yes, outrage! The quote of Edmund Burke “The only good thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing” was one that guided my spirit every day. Yes, outrage is a necessary part of change. I completed my postgraduate degree in a controversial area of study. Outrage, fuelled me. Years later I met my friend face to face. He was in the audience when I presented the findings of my thesis. I realised in that moment, there is no better feeling, than an audience of one.
There is a difference between outrage and anger. Anger destroys the spirit. Outrage is a change agent.
I want to live in a world that is outraged.
Until next time
As always
a dawn bird
Daily Prompt: Compromise
When you look for beautiful things in nature,
there is no room for compromise.
Until next time
a dawn bird
‘Billabonging’
The task for the week was a simple one but proved really difficult for me. There were no rules. Writers were given license to tell lies, break rules, make up words. They were asked to create in the moment. Instant writer’s block! So the facilitator gave us the opening line … “I leave this by your ear for when you wake …”. Using my senses, immediately centred me.
I sat with my fellow companions in silence while we took the words in, then stepped away for a few moments, at one with all around me. Far away in the outback, I wrote a poem for my children, the opening lines ….
“I leave this by your ear for when you wake,
The footfall of blue dragonflies, on a lily carpet”
I am home now. The rainbow lorikeets are in the tree, screeching. The beautiful sounds of the currawong, echoing. The flapping sounds of big winged birds as they head for the lake, above me. The musical fluted call of the Willie Wagtail, outside my window.
I hear them with my eyes closed.
A mindful moment.
And, in that moment, I see the billabong again. The lily pads.
The big winged raptors in the trees.
The jacana. Oh! what big feet for a delicate, elegant bird!
The white faced heron, silent and poised.
Yes, I’m home.
‘Billabonging’ to the sights and sounds of the Kimberley.
Until next time
As always
a dawn bird
Today, an angel visited me
It was a tough two days. The lead up to it, even tougher.
For the first time in many years, I had an Alfie ‘what’s it all about’ moment. I could hardly wait to get to the sanctuary of home to indulge in this thought.
At the airport someone called my name. It was someone I knew many years ago. She was on her way to see her daughter who was at boarding school. “Boarding school?”, I asked incredulously.
“Yes”, she smiled. Her eyes welled up. She thanked me softly. “What you gave me is hope. She can live a normal life. You gave me courage to see this. Our paths were meant to cross”, she tells me.
Little did she know, when we said goodbye, it was a fair exchange.
Until next time
As always
a dawn bird
Silvereye …
On a recent regional trip, I had two days of solid work. I retreated to my hotel room in the 30 minute lunch breaks, closed the curtains and shut out the world.
There was no ‘me’ time at the end of the day either. I had reports to complete and wanted to stay on target. I limped over the line with the promise of two hours in the bush in the morning before my flight home.
I went to bed restless. I could hard wait for morning. I woke at 4 am and thought it was too early for my neighbour to be having a shower, then realised, it was raining. How is this even possible! Two glorious days of sunshine and now steady rain. For a split second I felt cheated. I then remembered, small birds, like children, love puddles. By 5 am I showered and packed. I wanted to spend as long as I could in the bush, then headed out to it.
Although there is a variety of scrub, silvereye seem to prefer a small stretch of bush land in this area. And, of course, it has to be in the most awkward place, on a blind bend. On a miserable day I thought I was alone at the lake but was soon joined by two fisherman who were patient with me while I took a picture, this, of course, being country courtesy. (Can you see the small black and white bird in the scrub?)
Silvereye are tiny birds. They weigh around 10 grams. To find one feeding, oh! the joy!
I parked my car and walked to them. Soon the flock relaxed in my company. Some sitting on bare branches. This little one, still holding an insect.
One allowed me to inch closer. The puddle, just across from it, proving irresistible.
On the ground, they bunny hop. I caught this one mid-hop.
I’m pretty sure the look of surprise on my face, was just as comical.
Until next time
As always
a dawn bird
Valentine’s day
It’s Valentine’s Day and I wanted to share this beautiful quote for you to reflect on.
“Come live in my heart and pay no rent.” Samuel Lover
It captures everything that love means to me.
Love is generosity of spirit.
Love is kind.
Love is sharing.
Love is the offer of sanctuary.
Love is accommodating.
Love is nurturing.
Love is compassionate.
Love is inviting.
Love is welcoming.
Love is healing.
Love is also the unconditional offer of one’s spirit to another.
Finally, contrary to what the ‘love’ industry promotes. You don’t need a significant other.
You can be single and still experience love.
That’s the best and most amazing part of it.
Until next time
As always
a dawn bird
A Shared Space 
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