Sun Song

These mornings on my way through the parking lot, I pass several beat-up crabapple trees that line the backside between us citizens and the higher level city street. Just finished up the show of blossoms that rained rosy petals in mounds down upon the crust of asphalt and metal hoods of the cars. It was lovely, and contrast between the hard material and the celestial pink scraps was noticed as they were blown into mounds on the pavement, then crushed into duller colors by shoes and tires.

Amid and atop these trees now flit a family of goldfinches, yelling their heads off about the sun, the weather, the menu, the annoyance of seeing people trot off to work through their area, and perhaps to chastize the neighbor birds that like to chase littler ones. They sing and flash bright yellow, buzzy as bees. Oh I love to watch them; it cheers one on, in hopes that putting one foot in front of the other helps them as well as it helps yourself. Thank heavens for the brightness of animals.

This was also noted by a friend who saw a mother fox and her two kits dining on her front lawn with some sort of small, caught unfortunate. How dear, how sustaining for a human to see that mothering extends universally; it makes for a sense of kinship with the other species as well as binding us to each other. We enjoy watching, wishing it were a fairy tale where everyone lived so. Besides, foxes are just fun, being a mix of dog behavior with feline grace; canine body shape with the wild, vertical slit pupils found in cats, crocodiles, and venomous snakes. How terrific is that?

Being late spring, the sun is still bright just after seven in the evening; the feral cats are being fed by my neighbor who does a good job of marshaling them into traps for clean-up. The woodchucks who live in that strand of city field along the parking lot are also out, being given wide berth by cat wisdom; chucks have nasty tempers. Birds are starting to wind down feeding activity, making room for the nighthawks and brown bats to take over the night sky.

Leaves fold, grass bends, heads nod and loll with end of day fatigue. We all want rest, to be safe for the night, to cozy ourselves with an ending book, a cup of chocolate, slippers, lotions, a friend to say goodnight to. Say farewell to someone as you begin your night journey through sleeptime, whether they are here or there. Whether that other is four-footed or two, next to you in a chair or away in the woods bedding down with kits; it isn't easy for any of us, the best we can sometimes do is a simple wish. It can't hurt, and the notion keeps us from being self-centered which is the beginning of loneliness. You aren't. Not while birds scold or mothers wash faces or fathers beat drums. Sleep safe, sleep sound. Awaken, and sing tomorrow's sun song. Love you so.