Owl-ed
. . . with thanks to Ginny and Kate
The earth has warmed – bare feet on warm soil
aaahhhhhh
the air is filled with the perfume of jasmine and syringa
and the canopy of new flushed Masasa
glows gold in the setting sun
People usually consider walking on water or thin air a miracle.
But I think the real miracle is…
to walk on the earth.
Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don’t even recognize:
a blue sky,
white clouds,
green leaves,
the black curious eyes of a child,
our own two eyes.
all is a miracle
-Tich Nhat Hanh
Ginny was the first to be owl-ed
sitting on her veranda in July
shelling peas
her hair lightly brushed
as if in a blessing
touched by talons
in silent flight
the Spotted Eagle Owl was an old friend by now
she first arrived in April
calling from the trees
silhouetted at dusk on the chimney
one night when Gin came home in May
she spent 24 hours in the kitchen
watching her cook
they set up a rapport
eye to eye
When Gin left again, and the owl moved across to Daniels’
speaking to him at night
perching over his door
Gin and Pete came home in June,
and she moved into the nest high up in the rafters, under the thatch on the veranda
appearing outside their bedroom window at early dawn
calling gently
with a mouse dangling from her beak
as if an offering
In the last month all the families came home
Andrew and Jess and Nathaniel from US, Rory, Rebecca and Kieran and Fiona and Tiggy from UK, Shan and James and Bev and John from Capetown
and us locals – Daniel, Kate, Gin, Pete, Mel, Tony and me
we have all been owl-ed
walking the paths between our houses at night
out of the silence of the trees
a gentle ruffling on our heads
and then she lands
on a branch ahead
and then watches us through owl-eyes
All is a miracle