Pen and Paint Ponderings with Karen and Karen
by Karen Wilk (writer) and Karen Tamminga-Paton (painter)
A first glance suggests this is a bowl full of smooth river rocks. Closer inspection shows these to be a curious collection of bird eggs of all sizes, colours and patterns. They represent different continents and ecosystems; some bird species no longer exist, many are endangered. This Earthen container, reminiscent of a hemisphere, holds precious cargo, fragile and full of life!
- Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)
- Black-capped Chickadee (Parus atricapillus)
- Common Ostrich (Struthio camelus)
- Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)
- Ivory Gull (Pagophila eburnean)
- Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinators)
- Whooping Crane (Grus Americana)
- Great Blue Heron (Ardea Herodias)
- Common Night Hawk (Chordeiles minor)
- Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)
- Long-billed Marsh Wren (Telmatodytes palustris)
- American Robin (Turdus migratorius)
- Willow Ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus)
- American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)
- Lewis’ Woodpecker (Melanerpes lewis)
- Common Murre (Uria aalge)
- Harlequin Duck (Histrionicus histrionicus)
- Northern Oriole (Icterus galbula)
- Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularia)
- California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus)
- Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)
- Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus)
- Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis)
- Black-footed Albatross (Phoebastria nigripes)
- American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus)
- Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae)
- Eastern Screech Owl (Otus asio)
- Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)
- Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres)
(As always, it is recommended that poetry be read aloud… and if possible with others with whom one can contemplate and respond.
ALL THE EGGS IN ONE BASKET
So many…
Yet just scratching the surface
Hundreds, thousands more, oval, round, distinct
The same, yet different, some abundant- some extinct
Magical, mystical, colours, spots,
Precious, unique, breathing, random blots
All together, all embraced
Creator’s covering, exposing, outlandish grace–
Could there really be ONE basket of all inclusive space?
All moulded, cared for, eternally cuddled,
in earthen vessel swaddled, included, lovingly muddled…
Fragile eggs.
Hard, smooth, strong
Holding, hiding
Tiny life,
sheltering
Eggs in one basket teach us
“Don’t judge a book by its cover.”
But you can judge a bird by its shell.
“Patience is a virtue” –might they tell?
“Trust the life inside.” – all will be well…
Size, colour, shape don’t matter when
we all struggle to crack open, be born and then
To eat, walk, find shelter, thrive
As those who were meant to be,
bright, beautiful, alive!
Eggs-
Birds of a feather resting,
Darting, dashing, squawking
In the reeds, in the trees
By the road, by the seas
Robin, osprey, pheasant, jay
Plumage, wings, beaks, array
Soar, float, waddle, dive, on the way
Whistle, hoot, chirp, and call
Red/green, fast/slow, big/small
Eggs in a celestial basket–
Aren’t we
all?
Preparing for the Garden Walk of Holy Week
In the last few days of his life, Jesus moved from garden to garden from suffering to resurrection.
Join Christine Sine for a Lent retreat that reflects on this journey and prepares for the challenging week that follows Palm Sunday.