On a Spring Morning in 2020

The chill in the morning air
doesn't stop the birds from singing
or building nest.

I listened to them
as I waited for the paratransit bus
to take me to my obligatory blood draw.

Social distancing ignored
because I need my med refiled
and the doctor won't refill them
without the blood work report.

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Birds

A poem is a Great Horned Owl
mourning the departing night;
mourning the twinkling stars
fading in dawns nascent light.

A poem is a Nightingale
rejoicing in dawns first rays;
rejoicing as the rising sun
gives birth to a new day.

A poem is a Mourning Dove
lamenting the fleeting day;
lamenting life's swift passage
from birth to the grave.

I also posted this in the journal, Writing in Snow, under the folder Awardicon Items, in my writing.com portfolio. Visit My Portfolio @ Writing.Com

The Birds of March

A sparrow is singing,
nesting in the pine tree across the street,
the pigeons nesting above my door
are silent
listening to the sparrow's serenade.


I, also, posted this in the journal Writing in Snow, under the folder Awardicon Items, in my writing.com portfolio.  Visit My Portfolio @ Writing.Com

Spring Memories

It was a new day
The wind whispered through oak leaves
Birds flew to their nests

 

This poem is, also, posted in Writing in Snow, under the folder Awardicon Items, in my writing.com port. I am Prosperous Snow.

 

 

The First Signs of Spring: A Poem

Jalál (Glory), 11 ‘Alá’ (Loftiness), 173 BE - Saturday, March 11, 2017 CE about 10:35 AM Pacific Standard Time 

Spring beautiful spring 

Sparrow and black birds sing 

Their mating calls ring 

Spring in Las Vegas 

Temperatures rise 

Watery eyes 

Spring musical spring 

Pigeons nest in palms 

Sparrow in pines 

Olive pollen flies 

Across the city skies 

Meditation Monday: Listening to the birds

Kamal (Perfection), 11 ‘Ilm (Knowledge), 172 BE - Monday, October 26, 2015 about 8:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time

Open the front door,
stand there
as you focus on birdsong.

Listen to the choir
of robins and sparrows
as they intone their praise
in the first light of day.

Can you hear
the distant crowing
of a rooster?

Can you hear
the cooing of doves
and pigeons as the join
the sparrows serenade?

Autumn is here
and the birds are thankful
for the cool morning temperatures
we are experiencing
in Las Vegas.

Midweek Reflections on Chirping birds, wind, and writing

Idal (Justice), 7 Jalál (Glory), 172 BE - Wednesday, April 15, 2015 about 2:37 pm Pacific Daylight Time

A baby bird chirps
As wind blows the pine tree limbs
Rock-a-by baby

Last night the wind raged through Las Vegas. In some sections of town it knocked down trees and power lines. It did not do much damage on Sunrise Avenue. At least it did not do any noticeable damage. It did not knock the bird's nest out of the pine tree across the street. It did knock some dead palm fronds off the local palm trees, but I do not see many laying in the street so someone must have moved any that may cause difficulty for traffic.

Last night's horrid sound
Gave a momentary fright
While I sit and typed

I will continue to write and type as long as I have electricity and an internet connection. There is no use getting frightened when I can come up with a plausible reason especially when I have no intention of going out in the middle of the night to investigate. Since the electricity did not go off, the internet did no go down, and the roof did not fall in I continued working. I do not panic unless I have something to panic about.

I need batteries
Without electricity
My only illumination is my cellphone

 

Midweek Reflections: Birds Singing Under a Cloudy Sky and I am Depressed

Idal (Justice), 10 ‘Alá (Loftiness), 171 BE - Wednesday, March 11, 2015 about 5:20 pm Pacific Daylight Time

The sun did not penetrate the could cover today. A bird is singing in the pine tree across the street. The bird obviously has something to sing about. I am not sure if I have anything to sing about. I am depressed. I may have a reason to be depressed or it could be the cloudy day. I can never tell at times like this because the clouds usually show up when I have something to be depressed about.

I am I depressed because I need to get some money into my bank account by Monday? Am I depressed because it is a cloudy day and I cannot feel the sun on my face? Am I depressed because I do not have enough money in my savings account to transfer to my checking account? Why am I depressed? Is the dreary day making my depression worse?

I wish I had an answer to all these questions. I want a job that will pay me money once or twice a month. I am semiretired which means I do not make enough to supplement the monthly check I have coming in. I am depressed. I am semiretired. I do not have to worry about food, but I have to worry about other things. I know one action I can take now to help me next month, but it will not give me any help this month. I will take that action tomorrow after I returned from the food bank.

Fortunately, I will work outside my house one day in April and one day in June. That helps a little, but not very much. I am thankful for what I have. I have enough food to eat. I can scrape enough money together once a month for gas in the car, but I have to be careful about driving the car because it uses gas, which I can only purchase once a month. Usually writing helps my depression, but this blog entry is not alleviating. I do not think it is making the problem worse, but it is not making it any better.

I am going to post this entry and then I will take my vitamin D tablet. After taking the vitamin I will say some prayers. After saying prayers, I will attempt to write a story or poem. I hope that one of those things helps my depression. I will be so glad to see the sunshine again.

Midweek Reflections: On the Singing of Birds

Idal (Justice), 12 Mulk (Dominion), 171 BE - Wednesday, February 18, 2015 about 5:28 pm Pacific Standard Time

Every morning when I open the door I hear the birds singing. They must think it is spring because they sound so happy. The weather has been nice. It's been so nice that I have not turned the warm air on all month. It is not warm enough to turn the cool air on, so the unit remains off. I suppose I will have to figure out how to put a filter in it this year. I am not looking forward to that, but perhaps if I purchase the filter then the rental agent will send their maintenance person to change it for me.

The birds stop singing after school lets out and the neighborhood children begin to play and make noises. I do not think the birds care for the noise the children make in the late afternoon or early evening. I, on the other hand, enjoy listening to the kids play and make happy noises. It takes my mind off the lonely feeling I sometimes get living by myself. All though I am not as alone as I thought I was.

I had an encounter with a mouse this morning. It was a bit of a shock because I did not think about a mouse or mice getting into my apartment. I knew there were mice in the desert, but I did not think about them getting into my apartment. Now every time I see a shadow out of the corner of my eye I take another look to see if it was a mouse or just a shadow. I called the rental agent so I expect to hear from their exterminator soon.

Birds, birds, and more birds

Fiḍál (Grace), 1 Asmá’(Names), 170 BE - Tuesday, August 20, 2013 about 7:50 AM Pacific Time

This morning, I saw a flock of birds flying south east. The black or dark brown birds stood out against the grayish, moisture bearing clouds. I think there were about half-a-dozen birds in the flock. I am not a birdwatcher so I do not know the names of the birds.

a flock of black birds
are flying southeast toward
the outskirts of town

This is the third time this week I have noticed the bird in this neighborhood. On Sunday, I saw a mourning dove sitting on my garage roof. I watched it for about five or six minutes before it flew away. Then on Monday, I saw another mourning dove (or perhaps it was the same one I saw on Sunday)  sitting on my garage roof.

Sunday mourning dove
sits on top of my garage
then it flies away

There are only a handful of birds I can identify by sight, sound, and name. I can identify mourning doves, sparrows, and nightingales.  Mourning doves are grayish with pigeon shaped bodies and they sound like they are crying. Sparrows and nightingales are small birds, with the sparrows somewhat smaller then the nightingales. The nightingales song is the sweeties and most beautiful of any birdsong I have heard.

Monday mourning dove
makes an encore appearance
but does not remain

A nightingale on my garage roof

Fidál (Grace), 9 ‘Azamat (Grandeur), 167 BE – Tuesday, May 25, 2010 about 8:56 AM Pacific Time

I saw a nightingale sitting on my garage roof. He was just sitting there looking around, after I noticed him he flew away. All month, I have heard him or another nightingale singing, but this is the first time I have witnessed one sitting on my garage roof. I guess he was looking for one of the neighborhood cats, not that he or his offspring are in any danger from them.

The cats in this neighborhood are not strays; each cat belongs to someone in this area. The cats roam all over the neighborhood and even get on my garage roof. Because the cats are well fed none of the local birds are in danger of becoming cat food. If the cats chase the birds, it is a half-hearted attempt to show the birds that the cats are the bosses.

A Beautiful May Day in Las Vegas

Jalál (Glory), 4 Jamál (Beauty), 166 BE – Saturday, May 1, 2010 about 6:15 PM Pacific Time

Beautiful May Day
A gentle breeze in the trees
Birds in my front yard

The birds seem to like the new look in my front yard. There are no weeds to hinder them when the scratch in the dirt. I saw two mourning doves scratching in my front yard; I think they were looking for food. I don't know what type of insects mourning doves eat, but whatever they eat the two birds were finding something good.

A bird sings on a cloudy morning

Istiqlál (Independence), 13 Mulk (Dominion), 166 BE – Friday, February 19, 2010 about 6:41 AM Pacific Time

We humans could take lessons from the birds. This morning when I went out after the Las Vegas Review-Journal, I heard a bird singing. I'm not sure what type of bird it was because we have sever different species of song birds in my neighborhood. The bird I heard wasn't close by so it must have a nest on another street, but he was singing joyously.

There are clouds covering the blue sky this morning, but the bird was singing anyway. Despite the clouds the bird was singing. The sun momentarily shone from behind some clouds and the bird continued to sing. Even when the sun went behind clouds, the bird continued singing.

The bird didn't care if the sun shone or the sky was cloudy because he was happy and going to sing. So often we humans look at the problems surrounding us or at a cloudy sky and decide we don't have a reason to be happy, which isn't true. A person can always find a reason for happiness. All we have to do is look at the world around us and we, like that bird, will find a reason to sing.

I recied a Good New newsletter

One of the daily newsletters I receive in my yahoo e-mail box is Gimundo Good News ... Served Daily>. In today's newsletter was the following video link about a Cockatoo and a cat. Take a look at Cat and Cockatoo in Love.

The Pets I have known

Jamál (Beauty), 6 ‘Izzat (Might), 166 BE – Sunday, September 13, 2009 about 9:33 AM Pacific Time

I've had a personal relationship with numerous pets during my 62 years. The pets I'm most familiar with are dogs, cats, and birds. When I was growing up in Blackwell, Oklahoma, we had a reddish-blond Cocker spaniel called Patsy, a black Cocker spaniel (Patsy's son) called Skizicks, and a black ans white cat called Mittens. Later my grandmother found a Siamese cat call Jay and she had a Parakeet called Pete.

Through the years, I've had other cats and dogs in my life. In Shawnee, Oklahoma, there was a little dog, called Peanuts and a mixed breed called Bonnie. In Las Vegas, Nevada, there was a Springer spaniel call Specks and numerous cats. All these pets gave me unconditional love and acceptance, in addition the taught me responsibility and caring for other creatures in the universe.

Monday is Labor Day

Monday is Labor Day. Summer is over. The full equinox may not be here, but summer is over. Children are going back to school. Stores are having Labor Day sales. I'm thankful that the next power bill, which is due October 6, is under $300.00.

Summer is over
the neighbor's dog is barking
good-bye to hot days.

I did a load of laundry this morning and the neighbor's dog barked. I think he barked at me, but I'm not sure. He could have been barking at a bird or another neighbor's cat. There is a fence between my backyard and the neighbor's, so I could see what the dog was barking at.

Bird song echoing
sweet melody of summer
autumn approaches.

I saw a nightingale this morning

Jamál (Beauty), 14 Kalimát (Words), 166 BE – Sunday, July 26, 2009 about 8:39 PM Pacific Time

I saw a nightingale this morning. At least, I think it was a nightingale. I know we have nightingales in the neighborhood because I hear them singing. The bird was walking in the sun around the area where I had the pine tree removed month or so ago. I don't know what the bird was looking for, probably something to eat or nesting material.

Who knows what kind of insects are in my yard? I'm more interested in making sure there aren't any six-legged or eight-legged creatures in my house then I'm interested in what type of insects, bugs or whatever is in my yard. We have birds in the neighborhood, so they can deal with creepy crawlers in my yard.

The birds are welcome to any thing the find to eat in my yard. The more insects, bugs or spiders they catch in the yard, the fewer I have to worry about getting into the house. I like having birds in my yard and trees, besides catching insects, bugs, and spiders they sing beautifully. I enjoy hearing birds sing especially nightingales and mourning doves, both of which we have in this neighborhood.