Small Birds Need to Fly Even Lower!

 

The birds don’t sing anymore in the evenings.

I had thought it was the season, or perhaps the disappearance of birds that had caused this emptiness and quietness.

It was while on a recent visit to Barnsdale Gardens as I said my goodbyes to a friend that she chanced to mention birdsong. She could hear them merrily tweeting away in the gardens behind us whilst others she said were singing in nearby high trees.

I strained to hear.

But all I could hear the low rumble and whoosh of cars on the road. I did hear the flat call of a duck from somewhere close, and I could hear my friend’s voice as she turned and pointed in the direction of another small bird she could hear.

But I could hear nothing.

It was quite a shock to realise that something as precious as birdsong had vanished and was unlikely to ever return.

Whenever I read the I Ching it usually tells me, whilst at the same time emphasising my lowly status in the world that the small bird must fly low for its song to be heard. A lovely poetic piece of writing.

So it seems small birds need to fly even lower, and perhaps even perch on my shoulder for me to have a chance of ever hearing them again.