Birds

This is a chapter from my fifth book called Freedom

Trinis have the phrase "I have a bird" to describe being in a relationship with someone. Now I am curious how that slang term came to be. Some birds are known for their intricate courting rituals so maybe it has something to do with that. No birds for me. That won't be me. I enjoy the freedom of being single too much. Life is less complicated that way. No strings attached. Birds are a symbol of freedom. But why? Birds can fly anywhere they want. They have an aerial view of the world. There is less traffic in the sky. Birds have their pick of the mangoes when mango season comes around. Birds defy gravity. I asked my friend Gemini, why are birds a symbol of freedom? He pointed to their ability to fly which represents liberation from earthly bounds. Birds have also been seen as messengers between the heavens and humanity, adding to their mystique and association with the limitless. I am now reminded by the popular meme with the dog, fish and bird. The dog says he wishes he could fly. The fish wishes he could walk. The bird wishes he could swim. Then the duck enters the picture and says he could do all of that.

There was a time when I was really into birding and bird photography. I love to walk and I love photography. Birding while I walked was like a bridge between those two loves of mine. I found myself exploring the back roads and being close to the garden lands. I found myself being agile and observant for the slightest hint of a bird especially if it was a bird I had not seen before or if it was close enough to get a really good photo. I admire the effort that birds put into building their nest. Have you seen the Oropendola's nest? What a beautiful example of engineering. I was so into birding that I bought the Birds of Trinidad and Tobago book. Which I have lost. I think I left it by my uncle's house in Tobago. I was going through my bird photos and I saw a photo I have of the Red-breasted Meadowlark. It is a member of the blackbird family and has the local name of soldier bird. I think I have been confusing this bird with the red and black Tanager. I am not always sure of the names for the birds that I see. Half the fun is in identifying the bird names. Sometimes the male, female and juvenile all look different.

An ornithologist is a person who studies or is an expert on birds. I read that the word "ornithologist" comes from the Greek words ornis (bird) and logos (theory, science, thought). I remember the times I visited Asa Wright and Arnos Vale to be among the birders. My mom likes to retell the story of how a bird ran away with half of her sandwich she was going to have with coffee when she visited Arnos Vale hotel on her birthday. I asked my mom what her thoughts were on birds. "They are so pretty. The feathers. So beautiful." Trinidad is known as the land of the hummingbird. This was the meaning of Iere, the name the Ameridians gave to Trinidad. Our fascination with birds can be seen throughout history. Many writers and poets have written about birds. I myself penned a poem in May of 2018 called Bird song. Early morning; He came calling; Steady chirping; Busy prancing; Song so nice; Paradise. Bob Marley sang about birds singing songs of freedom. Oops. I think I might have combined two songs there. We want to be free to fly like birds. Angels are often depicted as having wings. Fly can be expanded into Freedom Lives in You. I love this quote from an unknown source, "I was free once I realized the cage was made of thoughts."

Bird photographed by Hassan Voyeau