{"id":3348,"date":"2012-04-07T19:29:06","date_gmt":"2012-04-07T23:29:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/beginnersheart\/?p=3348"},"modified":"2012-04-07T19:29:06","modified_gmt":"2012-04-07T23:29:06","slug":"birds-buddhism-beginners-heart-and-poetry-of-course","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/beginnersheart\/2012\/04\/birds-buddhism-beginners-heart-and-poetry-of-course.html","title":{"rendered":"birds, Buddhism, & beginner’s heart (and poetry, of course) ~"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

It’s cold today. And the light is watery — rain-drenched. The birds huddle by the feeder, their wings flicking water. And I celebrate central heat, sweaters (especially cashmere!) and a roof that doesn’t leak…<\/p>\n

Mostly? I celebrate a life where I can write about rain dispassionately — where its lack or plentitude either one is not a life-breaker. And where my beginner’s heart can just feel watered…:)<\/p>\n

Rain fugue~<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I am grateful for the wings of birds.<\/p>\n

For the cold light that seems to fall<\/p>\n

away from the climb of geese,<\/p>\n

who leave us to fly where light<\/p>\n

nests in green grass, and does not catch<\/p>\n

in seed heads bent beneath this morning\u2019s<\/p>\n

rime of dew.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I celebrate the greedy wren.<\/p>\n

Who labours at a seed & suet bell<\/p>\n

silenced by the weight of brown wings<\/p>\n

and the jagged music of crows circling.<\/p>\n

In the grey sky their silhouettes open<\/p>\n

into darkness.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I am grateful for the way time slows,<\/p>\n

its rhythmic minute hand tracing<\/p>\n

a fluid arc, as if now was the centre point<\/p>\n

in a compass, and migratory birds<\/p>\n

drew a circle around this moment.<\/p>\n

As if you and I were inside, safe.<\/p>\n

As if nothing will ever change.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It’s cold today. And the light is watery — rain-drenched. The birds huddle by the feeder, their wings flicking water. And I celebrate central heat, sweaters (especially cashmere!) and a roof that doesn’t leak… Mostly? I celebrate a life where I can write about rain dispassionately — where its lack or plentitude either one is…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":398,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3348","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nbirds, Buddhism, & beginner's heart (and poetry, of course) ~ - Beginner's Heart<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"It's cold today. And the light is watery -- rain-drenched. The birds huddle by the feeder, their wings flicking water. 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