A flight of fancy
'I wish that I could fly into the sky, so very high'
Recently we have experienced really windy weather here in the UK. Gusts have been swirling around, and the birds have been soaring and diving on the air currents. I find watching them fascinating, there is a space in my house where I can lie on the sofa and look out the window and see them gliding around. It’s like watching an aerobatic ballet in the sky. I find it very relaxing and calming to watch them, the grace and flow of their movement is so beautiful and so skilled.
I sometimes wonder the reason why watching a bird fly holds my attention so much, and then I realised it was because it seems like they just lean into it and go wherever the wind takes them. But there is also great skill involved, as they seem to land exactly where they need to be. They are taken by the currents but manage to find their place. There never seems to be an air of panic surrounding a bird who is soaring in the sky, they seem to drift away with complete freedom and then land with such certainty.
I had a dream when I was a child to fly and touch the clouds and whenever I see the really fluffy cumulus clouds it reminds me of this dream. Perhaps this is another reason why seeing birds soar captures my attention, as they ascend and vanish into the clouds it brings back memories of something my childhood self was aching to do.
The notion of just being able to take off, fly away and be free also appeals to me. Fly Away by Lenny Kravitz really resonates with me, as the lyrics speak about the freedom to fly anywhere you please, to get away and soar.
‘I'd fly above the trees
Over the seas in all degrees
To anywhere I please, oh...’
I play the song when I am feeling stuck, and it really helps me to imagine escaping whatever situation I am in for a few minutes and leaving all the drama and stress behind.
The curiosity to fly is a very human trait, for thousands of years we have explored and experimented with different ways to fly with varying results. However, I think my keenness to fly like a bird differs from flying in a metal tube which is packed full of people. As, although when you are on a plane you are being taken to a destination of your choosing to go on holiday, there is no freedom involved in your journey. Whereas a bird can take off and fly wherever they please and fully experience and immerse themselves in whatever environment they are flying over.
I discovered this Emily Dickinson poem whilst I was collating this piece, in it she uses the metaphor of a bird to represent hope, which I think is very fitting.
“Hope” is the thing with feathers
by Emily Dickinson
Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all,
And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.
I've heard it in the chillest land,
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.
Many people turn to certain birds for their symbolism, luck, and fortune. People often associate robins with loved ones that they have lost, and they seem to appear just when a person needs them, much like hope. Since I have started my journey of self discovery and change of direction, I have had the pleasure of seeing a woodpecker on and off over the last six months or so. Whenever it returns, I feel comforted as it symbolises new opportunities, changes, and joy. The comfort of seeing these birds can bring you back to focus and make you feel reassured.
Sitting here even now whilst I am writing this piece, I am looking out of the window watching the birds skim the gusts of wind. Two little birds darted across the sky in tandem whilst a seagull glided, wings outstretched, and swooped to the right. It's a mesmerising sight, watching them harmonise with the surrounding environment. Maybe the wish to be able to fly like a bird is my deep desire to be more in tune with my soul and my surroundings.
And the truth is, sometimes I just want to cut out the noise and listen to my human spirit and its inherent desire to fly away and be free.