I hear birds and whispers
Like water gnawing a hull
I build a fire
In the bottom of my boat
A good memory moves me through the current
—Frank Stanford, from “If She Lives in the Hills,” What About This: Collected Poems of Frank Stanford
Notes: Poem: via Vale of Soul Making. Photo (via The Guardian) by Cherry Kearton in 1890s: Dartford warbler and chick on Richard Kearton’s hand: ‘By the exercise of a little patience I tamed the adult female until she would at last alight on my hand and feed one of the fledglings, at rest on my wrist, without the slightest sign of fear or nervousness.
Live & Learn 
‘ a good memory moves me through the current. ‘ perfect. (and love the bird on the hand story)
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Me too!
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so beautiful, loved so much and I shared with my readers too, dear David, Thank you, Love, nia
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So glad. Thank you Nia.
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A glorious, touching ‘story’. Aaaah, patience – we have a saying which could have been coined by me: Lord, give me patience. N.O.W……
You always make me ‘sit up’ (from yesterday’s flailing position!), often I have a long lasting smile, others a good think, or even a loud burst of laughing out loud – this falls into the ‘silent contemplation’ section – LOVE IT!
THANK YOU for always sharing your treasures with us – you are one of my best(est!) finds, David and I’m thankful to whoever pointed me to you….
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on Patience, Edgar Cayce said that the three dimensions of earth: Time, Space, and Patience! I’ve know this for decades, but still haven’t mastered it…..
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Point me to someone who has!
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My socks just got knocked off. 🙂 I would pay $5000 to have those birds trust me, and another impossible five grand to be able to say in so few words how my heart shakes!
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Laughing. So me too!
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Oh-h yes, “A good memory moves me through the current”
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So great, I know…
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So sweet! I love it when the birds land on my hand. Sometimes they do that in one of the parks down the road, when I bring birdseed. But this tiny baby bird alongside is too precious!
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That happens to you?! Wow, that’s something….
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Only in the park where they are used to being hand fed. They come over and land on your head, shoulders, arms…. It’s really neat — a tickly feeling inside and out.
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Used to being fed or not. That must be so cool. And here I thought you were the bird whisperer.
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I’ve tried it at home by my birdfeeders and the birds come close but all they do is hop from branch to branch of the nearest shrub chipping, “So leave the food and GO already.”
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Ha. Now I can see that…
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A good memory moves me through the current … how true. Lovely share Dave 💛
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It is Val…thank you.
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