"Such Singing From Wild Branches" by Mary Oliver It was spring and I finally heard him among the first leaves–– then I saw him clutching the limb in an island of shade with his red-brown feathers all trim and neat for the new year. First, I stood still and thought of nothing. Then I began to listen. Then I was filled with gladness–– and that's when it happened, when I seemed to float, to be, myself, a wing or a tree–– and I began to understand what the bird was saying, and the sands in the glass stopped for a pure white moment while gravity sprinkled upward like rain, rising, and in fact it became difficult to tell just what it was that was singing–– it was the thrush for sure, but it seemed not a single thrush, but himself, and all his brothers, and also the trees around them, as well as the gliding, long-tailed clouds in the perfect blue sky–––all of them were singing. And, of course, so it seemed, so was I. Such soft and solemn and perfect music doesn't last For more than a few moments. It's one of those magical places wise people like to talk about. One of the things they say about it, that is true, is that, once you've been there, you're there forever. Listen, everyone has a chance. Is it spring, is it morning? Are there trees near you, and does your own soul need comforting? Quick, then––open the door and fly on your heavy feet; the song may already be drifting away.
My favorite time of day is early morning, just after the sun rises. When I walk outside, coffee in hand, the sun is still waking, and the air is blissfully cool. But it is the sound of birdsong that truly gets me. The birds’ chorus then seems different than at other times of the day, as if they reserve the most melodic songs for heralding in the morning. They perch on tree branches, and I spot their various hues: red, gray, blue, tan. Sometimes, a flash of vibrant yellow or orange. The singers are mostly hidden by spring leaves, wings momentarily stilled. They are steadfast in their task.
There’s something about this new day’s concerto that makes me glad that I’ve gotten out of bed. It makes me happy to be alive, and I sing too. Not literally, of course, but the music zings through my bloodstream and thrums in my bones. Those few minutes each morning can power me through the day.
It’s like Mary Oliver said, it’s one of those magical places, and once you’ve been there, you’re there forever. So, quick now, go outside. Be still. Look up. Listen.
And most importantly, sing.
Check out my very amateur video recording of morning birdsong. Isn’t it lovely?