Shrouded Shore: The Many Musings of Thom Singleton

  Sunshine! It is dappled at first through the trees with leaves sparking-wet from days of rain. Then, as it tops the highest branches, a blaze unmatched in the heavens. Sunlight shimmers on the waters of the pond, still wavy from a mallard visit. An oriole, a small sun himself, displays his brilliant orange, as if to say, “I am the Sun Bird.” After hiding in sodden robes so long, Old Solius today is in his full glory.

  It’s Wild Outside Early morning sun reveals the wild outside… Hummingbirds Red wings Orioles Wood ducks Mallards And a big surprise On the deck, a turkey lies

  River of Air Currents course through green waves, Tree branches really, but swirl like plants in a river. Around a tree-formed headland, a backwind eddies, Riotous movement through the spruce. A duck lands in the green, unconcerned with the chill, Surrounded as he is with duck down warmth. Somehow a hummingbird negotiates the wind at the feeder. A yearling buck appears, wary of the crashing wind. A river through our yard. A river of air.

  Groups      If a group of rhinos is called a crash, what are these groups called? Of crows, a cacophony Of warblers, a symphony Of cards, a stack Of ribs, a rack Of rabbits, a hop Of gorillas, a bop Of elephants, a roar Of drill bits, a bore Of chipmunks, a scamper Of new parents, a pamper Of students, a classroom Of babies, a boom Of squirrels, a whirl Of hairdressers, a curl Of orioles, a blaze Of sloths, a laz Of mallards, a splash Of runners, a dash Of hippos, a ton Of hummingbirds, a hum Of attorneys, an argue Of beef, a barbecue Of jellyfish, a jar Of graffitiers, a mar Of hawks, a screech Of seagulls, a beach Of rats, a rabble Of pigeons, a babble Of big horns, a but Of mistakes, a rut Of giraffes a column Of hogs, a volume Of wolves, a rumble Of bees, a bumble Of worms, a wiggle Of kids, a giggle Of monkeys, a shine Of poems, a rhyme

  Sounds During Meditation Air in, air out… Breeze whispers Air in, air out Leaves rustle Air in, air out Turkey wings beat Air in, air out Doves coo Air in, air out Clouds collide Air in, air out One hand claps Air in, air out…

  Our Backyard Palette Eye of moon bird, the owl Green shadows of the forest Silent gray of clouds overhead Burnt orange sunrise Dazzle of sun bird, the oriole Flash and splash of the waterfall Jump and jitter of the red squirrel Metallic, blue-black head of the grackle Our mallard mates splashing off in the pond Scarlet cardinal The shining blue iris The white jewels of the budding blueberry bush Leafy-green clothes of the maple White snowballs of the hydrangea bush  Hammering red head of the woodpecker Black crows pouring from the sky like spilled ink Cow bird with its chocolate brown head A streak of jay blue Red wing of the otherwise black bird Seven-colored wood duck Largest bird with long neck, you-guessed-it, turkey Visual riches of the goldfinch You-guess-the-color of the invisibly beating wings of the hummingbird Today’s big surprise: three Canada goose families - total of 27 geese in the yard  

  Our Population Out Back Mallards and woodies Turkeys and hummers An oriole, a bit of the sun An owl, a bit of the moon Cardinals and blue jays A rare mountain bluebird Visual and auditory treats, all Today, a gathering of a thousand gray hairs Well, they look a bit like tiny old folks Really, our dandelions gone to seed What to do? It’s No Mow May My choice: mow or start-up a dandelion winery Think I’ll mow, and leave part for the pollinators

  It’s Spring! They paddle in our pond, then waddle to the fallen birdseed below the feeder. A mated pair of mallards, then another, wood ducks, avail themselves daily of our wet and seedy facilities. We named the mallards, Daphne and Daffy, and the wood ducks, Woody and Verna. A doe with distended belly grazes on the grass.  Next there is what appears to be a mating dance between our long hopeful but solitary female turkey, Tomasina, and her new love, Tom. Meanwhile robins nest, rabbits chase, hummingbirds hum, orioles flash, cardinals kiss. Spring is here! 

  Legend of the Three Sisters  This is the story, told down through the ages by the Native Americans, about how they learned that Earth’s living things do best by  working together, working in-harmony with each other. The Native Americans learned to care for all living things of the Earth, and the living things gave back to them.They learned from the plant world. They learned from the Three Sisters. The Three Sisters were Corn Girl, Bean Girl, and Squash Girl. At first the three did not want to do anything with each other. They did not want to cooperate. Wanting to do everything on their own got them into trouble. Corn Girl just stood straight up in the field all the time, got hungry, and couldn’t do anything about it. Weeds grew up around her feet. Bean Girl, not strong, grew like a thin vine along the ground, just got wet and dirty, and also weedy. Squash Girl, while stronger, had problems with the hot sun which scorched her leaves. Eventually the three girls saw how wh...

  Kissing Chickadees I’ve heard of kissing cousins And I’ve seen cardinals kiss, beak to beak But never kissing chickadees Black-capped chickadees, that is Tiny yet hardy, year-around residents of the North Saw two today at the jelly feeder One took a beakful, then alit next to the other Kissed her, with a bit of jelly on his beak Kissing chickadees Sweet

  Lonesome or Loathsome? A robin taps repetitively on the window. An oriole does the same. Even a turkey, on the patio door. They must be responding to their reflection in the glass. But for what reason? Are they looking for company in their reflection? It’s likely that they are being like us in another way, not for company but for competition. Most likely all three see their reflection in the glass as competition for a mate, and attempt to drive it off. Like humans, they see in the mirror, without realizing it, their own worst enemy. 

  Raiment of May Spring’s green shawl Trees adorned in red blossom prints Wood duck’s seven-hued robe Green-gold buds buttoned on the maple The mallard's iridescent hat of green Bluish purple of iris's flowery face Rosy bauble on grosbeak's breast Hummingbird's ruby necklace Red-, white-, and blue- hued garments of the cardinal, the pelican, and the jay The oriole's feathery suit shining like the sun New life clothed in color 

  A Death in Spring New life everywhere - Trees and meadows greening, Winged migrants arriving and mating,  Even an opossum appears, large, possibly with pouched babies. Next day a lifeless gray hump on the edge of the woods. She wasn't playing 'possum. Complications? Poisoning? Injured by a car? We honor her struggles with a burial and remembrance, Her death, a reminder that life, no matter how glorious in spring, will end. And that each moment be one of gratitude and love.