Hummingbirds and Spring Bees

Last night I dreamt a hummingbird hovered to close to my face she was a blurr. She landed on my hand and I felt the lightness of her, and her soft wings. In many cultures, hummingbirds are sacred, carrying messages of hope and solace, a symbol of resilient beauty.

This reminded me of an experience I had 17 years ago which inspired me to write the poem below. I'm surprised at how relevant it is to me today.

a hummingbird in the house

Patiently, she waited for me

on the windowsill of the cabin,

breathing lightly,

as if this moment had been destined to happen

for a long time.

waiting is lost time

She had tried to fly through the windows that look onto Storm Bay.

when will this be over?

My instinct was simply to pick her up and let her go,

and so I did.

We entered this lost time together.

She flew away instantly,

the bird that is a ghost,

halfway in this world and yet of the next.

waiting is wasted time

I looked anxiously at the Dharma clock.

we wait

we pray

we sing

and then we fly through an open door

LDW July13/03, for H

Hummingbirds also remind me of my friend Donna Lewis, who had a real affinity for them. I called her my sweet hummingbird.


And here's my first attempts at videoing the bees that inspire me so much. Bit of a learning curve, but it's coming!

Here's my first attempt at a video of a bumble bee queen in the White Icicle currant bush.

Here's a worker bumble bee in lungwort.