Golden Birds..From God. 2009 by Stephen B Whatley

            © Stephen B Whatley 

"I love birds - especially small garden birds - and from the early 1970s in my childhood I had bird books and wall charts; and delighted in their presence in my childhood garden in Suffolk, UK. I was always drawing and painting them too.

Since the mid 1970s I have sporadically written poetry. At first it came to me in rhyme - and in more recent years abstract spontaneous bursts - a heartbreak, natures beauty, joy or love can be a catalyst for my painting with words. Sometimes they become like prayers... 

Birdsong touches my heart - and perhaps no more so than February 21 this year as I sat on the steps leading to the garden and looked up to the sunny blue sky and prayed - unalone. First a gentle Goldcrest - the smallest bird in Britain - quietly peeped from low down; and then as I began to pray the Rosary, a Goldfinch perched above and sang its heart throughout. 

I wrote this poem that day and created this drawing on April 15th..inspired again to return to that memory - again by a Goldfinch in full song."

Golden birds of God
Aid my prayer; 
In loving sunlight - 
A balm from Heaven.

The Goldcrest - 
Tiniest and crowned-
Is my joyous welcome;
Before the Goldfinch
Takes its pew,
To sing a rosary melody.

Blue sky:
Strewn with His kisses; 
Flightpath of hope.

~ Stephen B Whatley

Charcoal & pastel on paper 
17 x 11in 
stephenbwhatley.com
   

Taken on: April 22, 2009

Tags:

art

Expressionism

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Catholic

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Stephen B Whatley

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Sets appears in: • Stephen B Whatley Fine Art • Stephen B Whatley - Birds

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