HOW CAN I KEEP FROM SINGING
“My life goes on in endless song above earth’s lamentations.
I hear the sweet, though far off hymn that hails a new creation………How can I
keep from singing.” Robert Lowry
This song by Robert Lowry has been a favorite of mine for
years. It reminds me of a book by Maya
Angelou, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”.
Singing has and continues to be a major influence and activity in my
life. And so, when the birds sing to me,
I listen and sing along with them. But
what do those songs mean?
I just received a fledgling Western Tanager (I think….or
Bullocks’s Oriole….hard to tell at fledgling stage!) that had been caught by a
cat and not flying. Such a tiny vessel
of life. Upon examination a couple of
bad fractures were found and it was determined that the bird was
non-releasable. Reluctantly, I headed to
the Fish and Game office to euthanize it.
I don’t know if it was because it heard some birds singing when I took
it to the car, but it started singing its little song. Maybe it was just crying for food, maybe it
was trying to answer the other birds, maybe it was asking for help….I will
never know. I do know that at first, I
wanted it to stop singing. The little
bird broke my heart into a million pieces as it sang its song. After a while I thought, this is the last
chance this creature has to sing its song, and I cheered along with it. I wanted this fragile life to sing for
eternity. I wanted to believe it would
soon be singing in bird heaven - as I have said before, probably wishful
thinking on my part. But I know why it sang.
Singing is all it had at that point.
Singing was its life and hope for better tomorrows. How could it keep
from singing?
Mary Oliver wrote a poem “How Would You Live Then?” She begins by asking “What if a hundred
rose-breasted grosbeaks flew in circles around your head? What if the
mockingbird came into your house and became your advisor?” She continues to ask
questions about what you would do in response to nature at your doorstep. How would you live then? Nature is at my doorstep every day. And your doorstep too. And nature is singing its song. The song is in the baby bird. It's in the Swainson’s Hawk that was released
to fly to Argentina. It’s in the kestrel with the broken wing that flies no
more. It’s in the rough legged hawk that
is still trying to heal from a gunshot wound.
It’s in the lowly starling that will soon be flying free. It’s in the
rough winged swallow that sang a distinctly different song upon arriving at its
place of release. So how will you live
then?
Above earth’s lamentation, the singing goes on. That is the mystery and beauty of all
life. And so I try to keep singing for
the creatures that have no voice. I sing
for those that are flying free and for those that will never fly again. I sing so maybe we can help foster a new
creation where all creatures are valuable and we listen to what they are
singing – telling us. Are you listening? How will you live then? I still hear the baby tanager in my heart. And
I always will. How can I keep from
singing?
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