stand still like the hummingbird

I CANNOT BELIEVE WHAT HAPPENED TO ME TODAY!

i rescued a baby hummingbird. i got to hold him in my hand.
pure magic.
(and by the way, yes i stayed in my bathing suit all day and never left the house till nighttime) i found him outside by the rug next to my back door, lying there death-like. but as i gently scooped him up, his eyes were open and heart fluttering. my darling cat daphne was right nearby but i don't think she caught him. i think he stunned himself against the window.
i was home alone. i called pops to come over immediately with a birdcage and i also called a woman who works for Sierra Wildlife and rehabilitates hummingbirds. but she wasn't home and i had to leave a message.
meanwhile the poor little guy was in my craft room, flying toward the ceiling but then landing abruptly on the bookshelf or sliding into my printer. i was frantic.
i tried to make a nest for him in a box but he seemed more comfy in my hand.
darin got home too and with his and dad's help i fed him a little bit of hummingbird nectar. it was so amazing to watch that minute litte tongue darting out hungrily to sip it all up.
my tiny friend.
i bet you never knew hummingbirds were so fuzzy and round.
that's what makes me think he was just a baby.
poor little lost boy.
the wildlife people called me back and said if he was moving his wings and showing signs of upward flight i could release him back in the wild. after spending an hour and a half with him, i gathered up all my cats into the house, locked them in my room, and carried the sweet hummingbird outside and put him in this tree:

and moments later he FLEW AWAY. with that pure frenetic hummingbird energy, away over the rooftop and into the sky. i truly hope he found his nest and family again and that he keeps going for a long time. they are really very fragile. but he was such a luminous and vibrant little creature and i feel blessed to have been so close to a hummingbird.

no wonder pablo neruda wrote a poem for them.

here are the last few lines of "Ode to the Hummingbird":

You are the seed

of the sun,

feathered

flame,

miniscule

streaming

banner,

petal of silenced races,

syllable

of buried blood,

plume

of the ancient

submerged

heart.

Comments

polly compost said…
oh what a gem!
a gift!
gaia, life lover.
thank you.
Mikie Beatty said…
another example of mother heather giving back to the world. Finely done. The last picture is my favorite, against the tree.
Carlito86 said…
Oh how cute! HOw did you know what to do though like how to feed him, I wouldn't have had a clue :) I love the two years... video you made its fantastic! Came here through Team Boo by the way :) xx

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