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Little soul in a grey chest
You died in my hand
Once you sang for spring
And flew on those dun wings under the sun
Today you trembled at the roadside
And lay your last heartbeat in my palm
Your graphite claws clasped in prayer as you left.
Here is my pencil prayer to you.
♫
You died in my hand
Once you sang for spring
And flew on those dun wings under the sun
Today you trembled at the roadside
And lay your last heartbeat in my palm
Your graphite claws clasped in prayer as you left.
Here is my pencil prayer to you.
♫
94 comments:
x
how sad that such beautiful singing should be cut short this Spring, but how wonderful that this little bird died with such a creative soul as yourself x
oh how sad, your drawing is beautiful, lovely too to see such close details of the feathers in the photos
A sad story and a beautiful drawing.
Beautiful, sensitive drawing... and the praying feet words you have written... I wasn't allowed access to the page to hear the song, We don't have Dunnocks here in the US, I'll try to find the song somewhere.
Oh, little Dunnock....dead but living on as art.
Poor little bird - it couldn't have known much about what happened and doesn't appear to be injured. Your lovely words and beautiful drawings are a fitting tribute to an exquisite little creature. Sad that we only get a chance to see them a such close quarters when they are dead.
so poignant. You've transformed its death into beauty.
That is so sad but so beautiful too. I am glad it was you who found the little bird, so at least he is properly remembered and he wasn't alone when he died.
your photos and drawing are wonderful, love the detail those little feet.
I am watching one in the garden just now as I type. The little birds have all too short a life.
I admire Yor drawings, but it's so sad! Wonderful pictures, works !
What a beautiful bird-one of my Dads favourites and vunerable as a ground feeder. How sweetly your poetic prayer will have soothed its soul. Bless youxx
Yours is a beautiful tribute. I'm sure little Dunnock thanks you from the other side.
Poignant and so very beautiful.
Exquisite, felt to the bone and heartbreaking. Small lives should touch us deeply, living and gone.
What a sweet little bird and I agree that it was with you that his dying will not go unnoticed.
Beautiful work as always Rima!!
It chose your hand to draw it's last breath, knowing it would be cradled and it's spirit kindled whilst passing along on it's journey.
It chose well.
Sad day there, and sad day here. My neighbour is a vet and yesterday we just gave her a hand to save a beautiful but poisoned and weak eagle. I will never forget those yellow eyes. Sadly, the eagle could not survive, today morning I have got the bad news.
one less bird, one more drawing. an exchange. an acknowledgment. a tribute.
Rima, it is a place to have a rest, even if I could read a sad story today.
Thanks.
Éva from Hungary
Beautiful pencilwork :) xx
I come in the little things, saith the Lord: Yea, on the glancing wing of softly pattering feet, of furred and gentle beasts. I come in the little things, saith the Lord: Not borne on the morning's wings of majesty, but I have set my feet amidst the delicate and bladed wheat. I come in the little things, saith the Lord. Amen
-E. Underhill
What a tender passing and fitting tribute. Fate can be so serendipity at times but I can think of no nicer way of honouring the little soul than as you've done here Rima.
Poor little thing but at least remembered by your drawing. Not any other dunnock, but that particular one. Such a shame to see the last few moments of such a harmless little soul.
In death there is beauty, just as there is in life. Exquisite detail and beautiful drawing of the bird. He looks at peace.
Every creature passes from this life; not every creature gets to do so in caring hands.
Beautiful pictures, poetry, and drawing. Indeed death has its own beauty in the same way life does
To die in such a warm and gentle bed, that's a special moment you shared with the little dunnock.
Oh that's too sad dear. The birds are just like free souls in our world! I'm happy of course, that you were so gentle to him!
Poor little thing.
Such a miracle.
You're drawing is amazing! So much detail! A fitting tribute to a beautiful bird, so often overlooked by the bright colours of other garden birds. I rescued a long-tailed tit from the midle of the road last year. Cars just driving right over it, poor thing, but luckily it recovered in my garden and flew away.
Lucky Bird. To find such a tender hand to leave it's life.
Flying beyond ...
... and body immortalised.
A plucky spirit moved on from a tiny host ...
Lovely work Rima
so sad day... and a beautiful drawing!
It must be the season ... and I must live in the graveyard of Golden-crowned kinglets. I never see these tiny birds unless they're lying dead in the garden and found one today. I, too, thought about drawing it. Yours is lovely.
This makes me sad - having something die right in your hands. Beautiful drawings.
how rare it is, that we get such a close look at an otherwise fleeting beauty. thank you...
That is so sad, it brought tears to my eyes. Beautiful pencil prayer that you did.
how sad and beautiful at the same time! but lucky bird to found your palm to die in...now its passing spirit captured in your lovely drawing!
There is a movie named 'All the little animals' where a nice old Hermit, dedicates his life to bury unlucky wild creatures, killed in the roads.
I know you were gentle to the poor creature. God bless you Rima.
Can we imagine what world would be without birds singing and flying? Today I stopped to watch a birdie who was siniging on a wire up above the road with all its vehicles and noises. I felt happy and relaxed...I have buried a pigeon once and I still remember the feeling of sadness and helplessness... The little bird chose you to be together with during the last moments of its life and your perfect black and white drawings as well as the touching poem are full of so much love and sorrow...
I love to read your poems :0) Wonderful drawing and photos too. i t reminded me of the passing of the wren in "The Dark is Rising" - a tiny life and the vastness of death. Beautiful and sorrowful.
Gasp! you are the only person I know that gets it - the sweet, dead birds!
"Here is my pencil prayer to you."
Be still my heart!!!
How sad, how lovely, how heart touching, thank you for sharing it and your paper prayer.
It's odd in the spring, isn't it? Maybe life's just closer at hand in all it's phases this time of year. We just lost a young cat earlier this week with no known cause, and you hit on the same note very well of the experience of a small living thing just passing. Thank you for physically documenting that same state. It's somehow reassuring.
we're all little birds. with fragile beautiful bodies, sweet songs, and so very vulnerable. such a beautiful post rima. steven
Rima... but what did he/she die of ? A beauteous little beast...
It just occurred to me that there is an artist whose work you may enjoy, this link is just one page of her blog, but if you have a moment to get there, do take a look around some of her past posts, she does brilliant work... which echoes some of yours...
http://gwenbuchanan.blogspot.com/2008/03/crow-5.html
Every little bird should get such a tribute as this. Marvelous, Rima.
Poor little fellow. I had one of my cockatiels die right in front of me once and another a wild turkey expired in my lap on the way to the veterinarian. You have reminded me of a particular Calvin and Hobbes strip where Calvin contemplates a dead sparrow. Beautiful tribute. It was done right.
Wonderful drawing. I found a bird at the end of winter that had died. It didn't get a spring this year. So sad.
Poor little beautiful thing...
Touching. This reminded me of a poem by Australian poet A D Hope 'The Death Of The Bird' ...
"And darkness rises from the eastern valleys,
And the winds buffet her with their hungry breath,
And the great earth, with neither grief not malice,
Receives the tiny burden of her death."
Your drawing reminds me of Durer's etchings. I also like the photograph with the details of the claw.
A pencil prayer...how beautiful and how perfect.
Greetings,
Your pencil prayer was a wonderful way to honor this beautiful little creature. Your photos were wonderful as well. The one of his tiny feet makes them look almost like jewelry. Mother Nature obviously has lit your heart.
Cenya
Hello Rima?
Poor bird. But in dying it spurred such lovely work.
In death happiness? Maybe.
Just wanted to say that your art is very amazing, sinusoidal. Medieval and honest to the roots.
There's not many with such talent.
Keep sharing. Thankyou. You do us kindness.
A perfect kind of prayer, Rima.
what a wonderful prayer for the little dunnock and i am glad it was you with him/her
xoxoxo
I am sorry Rima. This is so sad yet so beautiful.
Rima,
I thought you might like to look at these wonderful Gypsy Caravans in ETSY http://www.etsy.com/shop/Centaur1201
It may seem horrid, but when I find little dead creatures ( usually the casualties of my murderess felines), I wrap them carefully and put them in a freezer. I know that Tasha Tudor did the same. I have been able to retrieve birds, chipmunks and squirrels when I need an accurate model for my artwork. I feel as though, in some strange way, I am immortalizing the little dears.... I guess it is the least one can do.
alas for mortality, and The Wheel turning.
This moved me to tears...not just the death of a little creature but the beautiful words you wrote and the respect and love you showed by your pencil prayer.
Clair
Poor Dunnock... but a beautiful tribute by you.
Happy to find you blog, really great stuff on here, but I've only had a quick glance and I will have to look at it properly! All the best, Joe.
Thank you Rima. Your work resonates with me so much, and often your life too...this little poignant tribute to life and death is so well timed in a sad week for me.
And our names are mirrors of each other's!
From
Rami
What a beautiful little creature... it always makes me so sad to find little animals who became unlucky somehow. Lovely drawing, you captured him wonderfully.
RIP little bird... but you'll always stay alive thanks to Rima and her beautiful drawing :)
Sorry for my bad English... I just want to say I love your work and your universe. It's always a real pleasure to look at your blog.
So beautiful...
What a lovely tribute. x
Beautiful pencil work here. Its good to get studies from life(or death!) as often as possible. Im sure the little guy is very touched... Your blog is just magical to look through.
We should all have such a fitting eulogy.
RIP Dunnock!
What a beautiful gift for your dying friend. He'll come back to you with another song, another day :)
Your drawing of him is prayer indeed, just beautiful.
~ Carolee
This is a sweet eulogy for a darling bird. I have done just such a thing..held a bird in my hand after it crashed into a window and broke its neck...and felt the warmth disappear as it died. A tug at the heart. Glad you did the drawing...it's lovely!!
Your rendering is amazing!
what an exquisite elegy.
PS, I have added a link to your blog from mine - but realise I should have asked your permission first. I hope you don't mind but I will remove it if you prefer...
so sweet, so dear, so tiny, I know his voice was huge in life
Many thanks for all these beauty!.... I love your art! kisses from Brazil
Poor thing. A very fitting tribute. Summer Crow is back from the framers- did a pic of them all together and a link to here. They look utterly gorgeous together. Thank you.
Lovely Rima. It's amazing how structured his breast feathers are. I always imagine vague feathering there but it's clearly a very particular arrangement. X
It always makes me sad to see birds die. They bring such joy with their beauty and their songs. Lovely that he/she will live on in your fine drawing.
So sad! However, such a wonderfully intricate drawing to memorialize one little bird.
This post reminded me of the Neko Case song, "Maybe Sparrow," which I've been listening to a lot lately.
"Maybe sparrow you should wait
The hawks alight till morning
You'll never pass beyond the gate
If you don't hear my warning
Notes are hung so effortless
With the rise and fall of sparrow's breast
It's a drowning dive and back to the chorus
La di da di da di da
La di da di da di da
Oh my sparrow it's too late
Your body limp beneath my feet
Your dusty eyes cold as clay
You didn't hear my warning
Maybe sparrow it's too late
Moonlight glanced off metal wings
In a thunderstorm above the clouds
The engine hums a sparrow's phrase
For those who cannot hear the words
For those who cannot hear the words
For those who will not hear the words
La di da di da di da
La di da di da di da
Maybe sparrow
Maybe sparrow"
Interesting. Wonderful post, and the poem is gorgeous, especially the line about the bird's claws clasped in prayer. It gave me chills.
Well, at commenter no. 88, you may not get to read this far down the list, but I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed finding your blog (via Jude). Thank you; you have a truly amazing place here.
I think you are an angel sent to earth, the way you describe the death of this little creature, so touching and your drawings above are treasures. Very gifted.
oh this moved me very deeply. Poor little thing. Few people take time to think about the small creatures and their lives and deaths.
I am crying. Your drawing of the precious bird who died in your hand (and the poem for it) are touching almost beyond belief.
Hi Sweet girl,Im glad your friend could be at the palm of your hand when the last bit of his little heart went away,under the winds win gs,your precious soul knows the secret of the whispering tree tops and you are so gifted to be able to make such a tribute,wonderful!!
Warm hugs and greetings from me!Take care!
Let me get in the very long line to tell you how utterly amazing your blog is. The art work, the words, the photos... it's ALL so charming. Special. Special. Special. I said a lil prayer of my own for this lil bird too this morning- You've made him a rock star! He will be remembered now and, obviously, so will you.
I can't believe I found your blog, just stumbled upon it, and I'm so glad I did.
You are amazing in that you took the time to "feel" for this little bird, to photograph it, draw it, and write a beautiful poem.
A long time ago, two lovely little wrens slammed into my windows. One died instantly, the other died in my hands. I cried. I went to work and shared the story with a friend. I never said I cried, but she said, "...and you cried, didn't you?" I'm glad I cried.
Your blog is wonderful and your artwork is beautiful!
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