too many birds

of all the birdsong that graces my ears, perhaps it is the exuberant call of the simple blackbird that stirs my soul the most - perched in high places trilling morning, evening, before, during or after a rain shower - the improvised last notes of the call surprising myself and perhaps even the bird - the pure and authentic spirit of life.

so, it breaks my heart to think that when there are too many birds,
there is a blackbird that might not have a home:



"... Too many birds in one tree
Too many birds in one tree
And the sky is full of black and screaming leaves
The sky is full of black and screaming

And one more bird
Then one more bird
And one last bird
And another

One last black bird without a place to land
One last black bird without a place to be
Turns around in hopes to find, the place it last knew rest
Oh black bird, over black rain burn
This is not where you last knew rest
You fly all night to sleep on stone
The heartless rest that in the morn, will be gone
You fly all night to sleep on stone, to return to the tree with too many birds
Too many birds
Too many birds

If
If you
If you could
If you could only
If you could only stop
If you could only stop your
If you could only stop your heart
If you could only stop your heart-beat
If you could only stop your heart-beat for
If you could only stop your heart-beat for one heart
If you could only stop your heart-beat for one heart-beat..."

Oh blackbird, I'll give you a place to land, I'll give you a place to be, don't fly all night to try and find a place where you last knew rest, to sleep on stone - I'll try and make my garden a haven for you to nestle in. I'll try. But we all need such places too, including you and including me. Thank you Bill Callahan for helping me to realise this ;o)] xxx