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Waiting for the word birds to come

Aside Athousandbitsofpaper22 Comments

Be here with the cup

In the soapy water

Be here with the toaster

As it cooks

Smelling the aroma of crusty bread

Browning

Be here with the sights and sounds of nothing more important arising

Than dust motes drifting across the room

As writers we are trained to panic

It is ingrained this thought of blankness

As wrong

The white page

The empty canvas of the mind

Frightening

As bloggers who post daily

It can be even worse

Waiting for the words

They come when they want to

Wild creatures

That cannot be controlled

But they won’t find you when you’re so involved with trying

You can’t hear the soft touch of leather clad feet

Ruffling feathers that say they are here

You cannot hear their breath as they alight on your shoulder

And growing bolder whisper in your ear

You cannot hear

Anything

Over the sound of your own head thinking

So butter the toast

Spread the vegemite

Eat

With a blank mind

And one ear tuned

To the sound of the word birds

Arriving

They’ll be here soon

Just keep an open mind

(And remember

They despise cages

And will never enter

A locked room)

Some days are wait and watch days. I used to panic when I seemed to have a blank space where the words usually flow – now I find it natural and enjoy the peace and quiet of for once, not having thousands of words all jostling like people to get off the ferry and burst onto the page.

Perhaps it’s just winding down for Christmas – who else is feeling peaceful?

22 thoughts on “Waiting for the word birds to come”

  1. Peaceful? … we will after all the presents are wrapped this afternoon. We have tea and we have rolls and rolls of paper and sticky-tape. We’re good to go! 😀

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  4. Thank You for another well thought out Poem! My Lady Love is coming home, a can of ashes now. I have a place for her next to Her Precious dog, Ember, who is next to my Precious Dog, Tao, where next my grave-site lies, awaiting me…..My Esteemed neighbors are holding a Memorial Service for my much Loved Lady, whose many Years were spent being a Good Friend to ALL. Just writing this note makes the tears of loss begin to flow, yet she still sits here next to me, urging me on to do Good Work’s……To make Her Proud of Her old man……I am not waiting for the Word, the Word is: What Is…… ________________________________

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  6. We had a Blue & Gold MaCaw Parrot named Mr. Perkins, who would toddle along the floor calling out in My Lady’s children’s voices; Mom! Mother!, Hey MOM, Hello MOM! Reminding her to call and speak to her children, all the birds we were blessed with never had a cage door closed on them, they were free to come and go as they pleased, sure one of them would tear off chunks of wallboard, but that is what Plaster is for…..I would not trade those memories for anything……Now my beloved Swallows have disappeared from the face of this Earth, I spent Hours watching their nestlings learn to fly, what Joy! Now they are gone from my life, and nothing can replace them, so Sad!

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  7. I have a day off and so am definitely feeling peaceful. I love the days of calm, sitting, reading, cup of coffee, chatting with a neighbour and waiting for my word birds :-).

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