April 25, 2022 – Image & Verse

Pacific Northwest House Finch

H ere in the Pacific Northwest, there is a rosy-red colored, rich cacophony of glorious song birds: the House Finch, Purple Finch, Red-breasted Sapsucker, and the Red Crossbill, along with songsters of other feathers, like the Western Tanager, that fill the mountain fresh breezes with their trills, tweets, twitters, chirps, and cheeps — the sweet sounds of spring! It perks the ears to bring a smile, and stirs happiness of the heart — lifting one’s spirit out of the doldrums of winter.

The sweet refrains ignite a crisp aliveness, so that all, no matter the age, health, or circumstance, feel the spark of gratitude for simply being alive. The belief that, in spite of it all, possibility still abounds, and life may truly be better. Poets and minstrels, down through the ages, into our present time, have equated and do equate, these lilting arias to the sound of joy — melodies played on the heart strings. Everywhere we go, their beauty spills into our day, brightening our sense of self, and bringing lightness to the world.

the songs of birds swell
note by note they spark with joy
igniting spring’s breeze

Western Tanager