Hope Is the Thing with Feathers

There have been times that I have sat and watched birds then thought about his poem from Emily Dickenson that starts with hope is the thing with feathers -, that perches in the soul –

 

Watching a bird as it is perched on something, 

Be that a branch,

Or the arm of a chair, 

Rock or blade of grass,

Is like watching hope balance in the wind to me. 

 

At times I have closed my eyes and imagined a bird and what it could do next. 

 

Hearing a warbling cry pop from one part of my yard to another brings me hope as I then gently open my eyes to see if I was correct. 

 

Did the feathers help the bird go where I thought it would dart off to next? 

Occasionally I will feel a smile spread across my face and include a wrinkle that goes into my eyes as a surprise from the birds takes on a new flight. 

 

I learned many years ago that a surprise is a good thing so go with it every time possible. 

 

What else can I see when I watch birds?

Hope is the thing with feathers that also bring whim.

Hope is the thing with feathers that also brings whim and lightness to my world. 

 

Feathers are light yet strong, protective yet allow for air to pass through. 

 

Birds can sit in a tree outside my window in the middle of a storm as summer rain whirls around. 

They are still perched on a branch. This time they are solid in their footing. 

 

I can see their feathers flowing up and around, yet the bird does not move to shake them back into place. Not at that time, at least. 

 

The lightness of the feather used to be misleading to me when I was young and thought they needed a rain slicker or more protection. 

 

Now I know that there are layers of feathers that most of us don’t even know about that protect the bird from these storms and hope will come back with a bright sky and dry days again.

 

Have you felt like that? That hope is not to be seen ever again. 

 

Shaking off the rain and getting a feather back in place is not the same as being protected from the storms of life. 

I know this and so may you. 

 

The storms that have come my way have been similar to summer showers and mighty thunderstorms. They have drenched me to the core like I am standing on the streets of New Orleans or barely wet the sidewalk like it was a dry dusty August day in the west desert near my home. 

The hope that comes from being like a bird.

There is also a place in my soul that has remembered experiencing the hope that comes from being like a bird, ready to take flight and sing a tune. 

 

Singing can come with others as two steps become dance offs with joyful swinging of partners throughout a home. 

 

It can also come as final dances are taken with well-known partners for a last dance of the night to a favorite melody. 

 

I have also been known to dance by myself with music blasting until the windows shook. 

 

Suddenly, a partner would appear and the singing with no words could continue. 

 

That’s the best time to take flight for me. When I feel safe and I’m in a fun, safe space with someone else. 

 

Feeling safe and having hope are things that go together.   

Do you sense that?

 

Let’s take a look at the bird seen here. Do you see that hope is the thing with feathers even now? 

These feathers have been chiseled into place.

These feathers have been chiseled into place. How is a question for another day so let your imagination do the walking for now. 

 

Do you see that this bird is also perched? This time it is sitting on a chair that has been used in my family for more than 25 years. Perhaps it has been longer than that. 

Take a moment to see the worn-out edges of the armrest. I can imagine where hands and fingers had rested over many years. 

 

The canvas backing and seat is easy and relaxed on this chair. Now look at what is next.

 

Can you see the bottom edge of the armrest? It is jagged with layers of color rubbed away and is gone to almost all base wood. 

 

Another piece of hope came as this view came to me. 

Jagged edges and losing color sometimes come when I am in search of hope.

 

Perching on the edge and being ready to take flight into something new is also when hope can come for me. 

 

Staying in touch with the idea of hope is a thing that makes me happy and where I choose to focus for now. 

 

Truthfully, it is where I have chosen to focus for many years so I will keep it going. 

 

Seems like a good place to be. 

How about you? 

What does your good space look like to bring you hope? Find it for yourself and let hope take flight.