Nature is Weird

 

So today in my poetry class, it was Emily Dickinson day! Basically we read a bunch of her poetry and I wanted to share one (not the one I memorized) that we talked about on here. It has no formal name as most of her poetry is untitled, but its informal title is "A Bird, came down the Walk" and it goes like this:

A Bird, came down the Walk -

He did not know I saw -

He bit an Angle Worm in halves

And ate the fellow, raw,

And then, he drank a Dew

From a convenient Grass -

And then hopped sidewise to the Wall

To let a Beetle pass -

He glanced with rapid eyes,

That hurried all abroad -

They looked like frightened Beads, I thought,

He stirred his Velvet Head. -

Like one in danger, Cautious,

I offered him a Crumb,

And he unrolled his feathers,

And rowed him softer Home -

Than Oars divide the Ocean,

Too silver for a seam,

Or Butterflies, off Banks of Noon,

Leap plashless, as they swim.

So In class we talked about how on this poem, Emily Dickinson is basically stating how weird nature is. The little bird she is watching devoured a worm but skipped over the beetle and let him pass - this is the weird selective nature of the bird. She offered the bird a bread crumb and it flew away, also drawing on human to animal connection and how there is none.

I bring up this poem because a similar thing happened to me today. I was sitting in the parking lot of the train station, in my car with the door open because it was hot. I parked near a grassy median area where a bunch of dandelions grew. These three little birds were pecking and playing in the flowers and it was so adorable. I didn't grab my phone like I normally would because I wanted the birds to stay instead of potentially scaring them off. I think they noticed me and two flew away but one dared to stay and kept pecking at those dandelions, occasionally looking at me. It was cute but this poem basically reminded me of this morning encounter. I wished I could be like Snow White and talk to the birds and stroke their little feathers but I know that would never happen.

Speaking of birds, the bird feeders I put up are half eaten, but I never see any birds there! It makes me sad but whatever, I hope they're enjoying it. And if the squirrels are eating it, I'd be very mad... Let's hope that's not the case.