the last bit of old birds

 Pete McLain. The man made a difference. Ask people who know osprey, the fish hawks. Ask people who know Island Beach State Park, that long piece of land nobody would ever suspect is in New Jersey.  The old bird himself passed, leaving wings behind and osprey nests ready for their snowbird selves to return to. You’re always home here.  That’s what he told them. You’re always home here.  Look around, there really are more old birds around than not. You’re always home here too.

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     The old birds are flying through the new ones. Honor their passing and passing on what is light, life and beauty from the skies to the land.  All old birds connect the land to the skies and the trees and the water. They pass on their flying and their flights.  But they have been here to share what’s good and what can move forward. We should honor their passing and their message. They leave us a different world but the journey continues. Paths may be different but the journey is the same. Our skies are reflected in the water just as the herons and our thoughts.  All lives are connected. Take care of your part of the trail. Take care of the places where the nests are tucked away from the ‘hurry up and keep it moving’; where the eggs absorb the lessons that linger in the air like a feather floating down to your hand. Hold these places close. 

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     Gold finches find seeds at the tops of everything.  Is it the wind or a bird landing that moves the tops of the tall grasses? The movement only stops with the night.