There is a spangled drongo on the fence outside the window and she is very much enjoying demonstrating her virtuosity in song. Spangled drongos are mimics, they learn the structure of their sounds from other creatures and weave them into their own unique and distinctive arias. There are some who claim that humans learned the idea of melody from birds.
I am wearing a black suit with an open necked red shirt. I don’t know why, I felt like dressing up. If there was a theme for the day it would be gratitude. I live in one of the most peaceful and tolerant countries on earth and for some reason I cannot fathom I have always been surrounded by beautiful women. Beauty which has nothing to do with bone structure and everything to do with womanhood. They have tolerated my brusque and uncouth company and have occasionally been amused by it. I want to define beauty. I was trying to do so in the paragraph above, it is something communicated. I want to encourage you to watch the video of Archie Roach in my vodpod.
I know I am taking up too much of your time but I won’t be writing for a few days so you can meander. The world is full of beauty and a lot of art is about expressing gratitude for the existance of beauty in the world. La Geurnica has always been a favourite picture of mine. Of course it is about pain and suffering but it is predicated by Picasso’s love for his home and the women who made it.
We are grateful for the opportunity to love, that something exists in the world that allows us to love. I am a middleaged white man with many and various flaws of which I am painfully aware. I have been drunk and I have been mad. I have been consumed by frustration and anger. When I was younger I had an audience, I am in my own vodpod, but I did not have gratitude. It is women who will save the world, the only function of men is to explore.
I miss Sunonhead, his simplicity of expression. She is tiring of me, the spangled drongo. She has chicks to feed. Goodbye, I say out loud as she disappears into the evening, sorry,
14 responses so far ↓
johemmant // May 3, 2008 at 7:03 pm
Perfect.
ozymandiaz // May 3, 2008 at 9:09 pm
bare and beautiful. i feel you brother. wow, this is like the most coherent, linear piece I’ve read here. it is without your usual cryptic aplomb, yet it is still distinctly you. it is expressive and honost with a compelling theme.
other than that
I hear cicadas.
That is a really beautiful comment compliment, Oz, thankyou, i hear the little buggers every evening about now, maybe one of them snuck into the back of the machine.
Lakota // May 4, 2008 at 10:00 am
hmmm… and i would have said it is even more cryptic than usual.
One of the things i love about your writing Paul is that there truly is something there for everyone, because you write with such fluid flexibility that the reader MUST enter it and make it their own on an intuitive level.
hmmmm… i’m not communicating what i’m thinking very well, dammit.
Fabian G. Franklin // May 4, 2008 at 1:07 pm
I bet you looked good all decked out in your Saturday best. Our speckled mockingbirds can incorporate several hundred songs into their arias, doorbells, cell phones, even cat and dog mimics lol… I was attacked by one while looking at her chicks in the nest, they are fearless parents, she drove her beak into my back lol I was bird bit! Now thats a story and a true one. Come see me anytime, always nice to see you dropped by. wish you could have been at my reading at the library, great fun was had by all, the library laid out snacks, printed flyers and invited newspapers. I was a star for an hour and a half, ham that i am, i loved it.
harmonie22 // May 4, 2008 at 1:07 pm
lovely, lovely. I think we are all music, each one of us a musical note. Like your view on men and women too! You are surrounded by beautiful women because of your energy, didn’t you know? cheers.
peterandthehare // May 5, 2008 at 2:49 am
how peacefully you write. The beatles said “Love, Love, Love, they said “love” rather a lot, perhaps too much for some tastes, but i’m inclined to think the point still stands. gratitutude is important, knowing where you’ve come from, haw far one has travelled. and harmony in oneself. I sometimes wish I could practice what I preach a bit more, but yes all these are pertinant questions which you have adressed so sweetly, subtley and well. Whereas when I write about these sort of this, well a lot of things to do with life - about which, it has to be said, i still have much to learn - i often find i have to wrestle with a wave of sentiment. no such problems here.
a moving and insightful piece. thanks.
randall // May 5, 2008 at 4:19 am
Ahhhhh… pure beauty and humble introspection. It reminded me of something akin to a 19th century German Romantic. Such a sweet song which displays plain honesty. Women can and will save the world- they have certainly saved my soul. I am grateful with you. Thank you for the beautiful piece to begin my day upon…
Some day soon I will make it to that blog that you invited me to write upon. Thank you for the invitation.
Enjoy Australia- it is God’s country.
Tina Trivett // May 5, 2008 at 9:34 am
Lovely write Mr Squires….
Thanks for sharing that part of you..
chrislacour // May 5, 2008 at 11:59 am
Very nice. Looks like I’ve got a lot of reading to do around here. And after reading this one, I’m looking forward to more.
Oh, and as I’m scrolling through your page I spot my name over there on your blogroll, cool. Thanks, Paul.
Paul // May 5, 2008 at 3:53 pm
Great gratitude for all your wonderful comments, it’s like a selffueling cycle,
lissa // May 6, 2008 at 2:50 am
i loved the clarity and peace of it. i felt a softness and honesty in the piece that touched me.
mariacristina // May 6, 2008 at 11:29 am
I like to explore too. I don’t want to save the world, only my sons. I’m selfish that way.
Did you dress in black to mimic the spangled drongo?
Your writing is very lyrical and entertaining.
well you know what male birds are like, gotta be prettier,
Crafty Green Poet // May 6, 2008 at 8:46 pm
spangled drongo, what a wonderful name….
Peter // May 6, 2008 at 10:12 pm
There was a month a couple years ago where I really got into studying bird songs, and I must say, Australia has some of the most increadible bird songs in the world.
This is a very calm and moving piece.
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