Red Bird, oil on canvas, 18 x 18 inches, © 2011 Diane McGregorRed Bird
Red bird came all winter
firing up the landscape
as nothing else could.
Of course I love the sparrows,
those dun-colored darlings,
so hungry and so many.
I am a God-fearing feeder of birds.
I know He has many children,
not all of them bold in spirit.
Still, for whatever reason --
perhaps because the winter is so long
and the sky so black-blue,
or perhaps because the heart narrows
as often as it opens --
I am grateful
that red bird comes all winter
firing up the landscape
as nothing else can do.
~ Mary Oliver ~
Red bird came all winter
firing up the landscape
as nothing else could.
Of course I love the sparrows,
those dun-colored darlings,
so hungry and so many.
I am a God-fearing feeder of birds.
I know He has many children,
not all of them bold in spirit.
Still, for whatever reason --
perhaps because the winter is so long
and the sky so black-blue,
or perhaps because the heart narrows
as often as it opens --
I am grateful
that red bird comes all winter
firing up the landscape
as nothing else can do.
~ Mary Oliver ~
4 comments:
Both painting and poem bring me to stillness. Thank you for this Diane.
Thank you for reading, Deborah. Right now there is about 8 inches of pure white snow settled over the desert landscape surrounding me - nothing could be more peaceful.
Both your painting and Mary Oliver's poem added peace to my morning.
The red spot offers the eye a place to rest, providing a focal point and an element of surprise. I love this painting, Diane.
Thanks so much for your comment, Stephanie!
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