laughing

“Our laughter kept the feathers in the air. I thought about birds. Could they fly if there wasn’t someone, somewhere, laughing?”
-Jonathan Safran Foer, 

I finally clean the feeders and fill them with fresh seed and suddenly the yard is full of birds. I recognize, what I think, is the birdsong of a bird that usually arrives come spring. I speak up, telling him/her that it is too early for them to land in the PNW. I sit outside with my camera, the chill of the morning air surrounding me. I relish in it a bit as I watch the birds fly in and out of the trees, their feathers ruffled out to keep them warm. They play nice as they land here and there. They are noisy, but waiting patiently for their turn at the feeders.

***

someone to walk with

“The world that used to nurse us
now keeps shouting inane instructions.
That's why I ran to the woods.”
― Jim Harrison, Songs of Unreason

she reached out a few years ago at Christmas,
a card in the mail that made my heart sing.
friends since 2nd grade, we had lost touch,
became mothers, had jobs, homes, and husbands.
but that didn’t mean I didn’t think of her … often
my heart soared again as I opened the mail a few days back.
a friend like this never should be taken for granted,
especially when the world is loud and full of darkness and pain.
how blessed am I to have a friend like this to walk with?

***