A Story of Birds
A single watcher at a window sees
a busy Magpie Lark in suit of black and white,
one who watches over all with knowing eye.
Arrives a vivid parrot bird, Rosella,
with chest and head of guardsman-red
and coat of sunlight yellow, with woven wings
like black and golden-green brocade. He chatters
cheerily, unconscious of his perfect symmetry.
Another comes with gentle step, a Diamond Dove,
attired in sombre grey of gracious mien. She looks
with red-ringed eye and sings a slow and sober song.
Their threesome nature stirs the watcher’s memory:
the might of triune God the Father, Son and Holy Ghost;
of days with songless silence, till soared the birds
within creation’s story, creatures that neither
sow nor store, messengers and symbols.
Fluttering wings and beak with dew-kissed leaf —
an awesome sight when God remembered Noah.
On desert sand in shade of juniper, depressed Elijah
saw a special food delivery by ravens.
Witnesses of bread and fish that multiplied,
birds chirruped round an empty tomb, knowing
that three sad days were passed and He is risen.
A winged choir will fill the sky when He returns.
New Zealand born Mary Trim, who writes as Marye Trim, has a PhD in English Literature (Loughborough, UK, 1998) and studied journalism at the University of Queensland, Australia. She has authored five published books and hundreds of inspirational articles, stories and poems and was a newspaper columnist for nine years, while also working as missionary teacher in India and Thailand. She feels called to writing ministry and sees herself as akin to those “Out of Zebulon, they who handle the pen of the writer” (Judges 5:14).
This poem was originally published in the Adventist Church’s Australasian Record in 1975, and is reprinted here with permission from the author.
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