Blackbirds
Poetry In Motion
Does poetry and stories told when young strike us with irrational feelings when seeing blackbirds, mysterious tales of old handed down.
Fork-tailed drongo with insect for breakfast
Perhaps deep emotions are triggered by how graceful occasionally menacing while poetry quietly sings in our ears of bygone times.
Expressions as a young girl sitting in a school room doing poetry, my first encounter with blackbirds conjured up very mixed feelings, striking awe into the imagination.
Our English teacher narrated in a voice drawing you into the poem, her whole face would light up, her voice took on new purpose. Conclusion to reading resulted in the poem would be deciphered in lengthy debate, poetry will resound differently with each individual, and that's okay. I wonder if our children even get to learn the deep meaning poetry or music lyrics can bring into ones life, understanding that it is another work of art.
Cape Crow
Some interesting little tidbits about South Africa, we have a variety of black birds as seen in photo's taken around town, as for the raven we only have one, the White-necked raven which is smaller in size to the Northern relatives. We have three indigenous species of crow, the black crow, pied crow and white-necked crow, across the world there are 116 species.
Ravens tend to hang around in two's and referred to as a congress (or unkindness), while we reference 'a murder of crows' which can number many in flight together. Interesting most birds are referred to as a 'flock of birds' yet through poetical talents this species got a bum rap using this phrase which has stuck.
Poem: Source
Poetry and song tell stories, different regions blackbirds represent knowledge, carriers of intelligence. Many ideas swirl around regarding blackbirds sometimes humans portray them as symbols of death or mystical reasons.
Spur-winged Goose
To me the blackbirds are graceful, so black they are almost blue, light reflects of the darkness dancing in the sun-rays only bringing joy, as with all our feathered friends of the skies.
"Blackbird"
Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise
Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to be free
Black bird fly, black bird fly
Into the light of the dark black night
Black bird fly, black bird fly
Into the light of the dark black night
Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise
You were only waiting for this moment to arise
You were only waiting for this moment to arise
Fork-tailed drongo
"O blackbird! sing me something well:
While all the neighbours shoot thee round,
I keep smooth plats of fruitful ground,
Where thou may'st warble, eat and dwell."
The espaliers and the standards all
Are thine; the range of lawn and park:
The unnetted black-hearts ripen dark,
All thine, against the garden wall.
Yet, tho' I spared thee all the spring,
Thy sole delight is, sitting still,
With that gold dagger of thy bill
To fret the summer jenneting.
A golden bill! the silver tongue,
Cold February loved, is dry:
Plenty corrupts the melody
That made thee famous once, when young:
And in the sultry garden-squares,
Now thy flute-notes are changed to coarse,
I hear thee not at all, or hoarse
As when a hawker hawks his wares.
Take warning! he that will not sing
While yon sun prospers in the blue,
Shall sing for want, ere leaves are new,
Caught in the frozen palms of Spring."
[Source}(https://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-blackbird-11/)
Woolly-necked stork
Birds are poetry in motion, always on the move whether alone or travel far and wide in flocks, formulate your own ideas about things in life, don't rely on anyone else to decipher how or why.
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This is simply marvelous and I enjoyed every word! Lovely photos of all these gorgeous birds.
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Black birds are so special! :)
The Raven is wrapped up in poetry and song, reminder of a birds tenacity to see through winters.
Lovely bird shots and lovely poems Lady Joan.
Of course the Drongo's are my favorites with all of their antics.
I was humming the Beatles song whilst reading the lyrics Lol.
Blessings!
Dongo is a clever bird also love how he dominates his area.
Human connotation to black is intriguing all down the ages.
I love the sounds that Drongos come up with my friend.
Truth about the color of black.
Blessings!
Good work, very good photographs and perfect writing ...
Cheers!!!
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Such a great post and now I have the Beatle song in my head but thats fine its a great song :)
Was a golden oldie worth sticking around for a bit longer....
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black bird very amazing!
and easy to paint :))
Birds big and small always fascinating, thanks for the visit @protosun, enjoy painting not something I do except walls around the home.
Lovely post @joanstewart, don't know why black birds and even black cats have such a bad reputation?
They get a bad wrap and yes for no good reason, always remember poetry whenever I see them glistening in the sun.
Interesting! I often have these preconceived ideas pop into my head when I view crows or even the ravens which are plentiful in our area and which I adore! To me they are magnificent birds and the fact that the ravens stay around all winter here in the cold is worthy of my admiration!
Thanks for sharing!
We have a couple of large crows currently hanging around our area, which led me to remember the songs and poems about the black birds.
Thanks for visiting and have a wonderful start to the new month.