-The continuing saga of Little Blue Egg–
Dear Little Blue Egg,
In all the generations of finches
hatched in wreaths on my front door
I have never known
a mother to lay just one egg
and leave
but that is what your mother did
last Sunday.
Here you’ve been ever since
resting in your nest,
forlorn in the freezing cold
day after day after day
one blue egg
one blue door
one long blue silence
one blue human
(that would be me, Franna,
sad self-appointed custodian
checking on you every morning)
until Friday
when, out of the blue,
there were TWO
of you!
On Saturday, three!
On Sunday, no more…
although I heard
the most beautiful singing
at my door
then on Monday… FOUR.
Little Blue Eggs galore.
I do not know
where your parents were
during those five days
of your cold blue lonesomeness
or how your mother could withhold
her charming clutch
for so long
but I know this thing:
your father and mother sing
every morning
like tiny angels
in eggsultation
and so
do I.
Little Blue Egg gets a sibling five days later
A quartet of Little Blue Eggs… joy!
A short clip of the parents’ music… it echoes throughout the house.
No wonder that finches symbolize joy or that their collective noun is a “charm.”
Some sources say only males sing; others say females sing in spring.
Listening to their bright morningsong, I am reminded
of these lyrics from O Come, All Ye Faithful:
Sing, choirs of angels,
sing in exultation…
*******
with thanks to Two Writing Teachers for the Tuesday Slice of Life Story Challenge
note:
the letter to Little Blue Egg (alone no more!) is an epistolary poem
for Day Five of National Poetry Month
lit bits and pieces 
Fran, YAY, more blue eggs! I loved your suspense in the poem. The eggs are so cute. I adore “Little Blue Eggs galore.” and “your father and mother/ sing
every morning/like tiny angels/in eggsultation/and so/do I.” I love the photos and parents’ music. I agree finches are joy, well, all birds are joy to me as I know they are to you, also. Thank you for sharing all this joy and your inspiration! Enjoy, your nest of eggs and finch serenade.
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I really am in awe of birds, Gail – winged wonders 🙂 So glad you enjoyed the poem – your words bring joy as well. 🙂
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🙂
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What a beautiful poem full of emotion to celebrate such a tiny miracle observed by few.
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How joyous! I love this stanza and your created word:
but I know this thing:
your father and mother sing
every morning
like tiny angels
in eggsultation
The audio clip added another layer to your post.
Thank you for the update.
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Faith, hope and love! What beautiful news! I am so happy for the update!
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I knew from the tone of your teaser that this post would be good news! Thank you for embellishing your letter with photos and birdsong; it is a heart-filling way to begin the day. I have a pair of house finches–the male has a light red head and chest, mama speckled brown and white–that visit my feeder, often at the same time, each to a side. It’s a lovely sight.
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The finches are pretty birds – I am going to have to get a feeder. How can one not be cheered, hearing their song?
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Oooh so exciting (eggsiting!)…. I knew it was going to be good news, when you kept us in suspense! That is thrilling, but when is she going to come and sit on them I wonder. Thanks for adding the audio as well, their song is exquisite (eggsquisite!). Sometimes real life is better than make believe…!
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She’s incubating them now, so I must remain scarce. So eggsiting, yes! ❤️
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Gosh, Fran! I’m jealous. I need to find a nest. Thank you for letting us borrow yours!
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Fran, this is such happy news. I still worry about that one egg hatching given it’s time alone in the cold. I loved hearing the finches, too. Of course the photos are gorgeous. I’m saying a little prayer for the little blue eggs and the little finches awaiting arrival.
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Mama Finch is now incubating her eggs so I am staying out of her way. When the babies come I will get pictures. I am in awe of the such fragile-seeming life, and how it endures!
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I am not the only one who has followed this with interest. Thanks for this update and its elegant presentation in verse.
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Mama Finch is incubating these eggs now!
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Franna: the caretaker of the eggs. Oh how I love that!
Amazing how it went from one to four. 🙂
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Mama Finch is on her nest every day now, incubating her eggs. Babies will hatch in about a week. I adore being a finch Franna.
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An “eggsultation”-what a fun play on words! I like the use of the word blue woven throughout and then when you see the collective eggs and hear these bird songs. So sweet. Thanks for sharing!
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So thrilled with this latest update. Love the accompaniment from your front door. Can’t wait for future eggsposition..
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-Eggsposition! Ramona, that’s perfect!!
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Oh, Fran, I am so happy that your baby bird is fine and ready to hatch with siblings. I loved that you captured the finches’ song. It is delightful. Your “eggsultation” is a tribute to spring and the birth of Christ. I have an invitation to create a poem celebrating springtime at my slice. Ask Scout if she is interested too.
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Thank you for these beautiful words, Carol – I am on my way over to your post and I will check in with Scout to see what she thinks!
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Like that egg, I felt sad and forlorn – and who knew that’s what birds would do – lay an egg, leave it, then come back and lay more? I think I need to learn a LOT more about birds.
And yes, there is reason to exult in the joy of more eggs, of the parents coming back to their dear babies. But you’ve done more than exult – for me, the word exalt is also coming to mind. You have taken this small moment and given it purpose, joy, poetry – you have elevated it to a higher plane. Magic, indeed.
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I had to do a bit of reading, Lainie, because of all this, trying to ease my anxiety about this one tiny egg being left so long when I haven’t ever seen such happen before. I didn’t know a fertilized egg can be viable for up to two weeks before a mother begins incubation; once that begins, she has to stay on the eggs for the baby birds to develop. I didn’t know a bird could stop laying fertilized eggs and resume. I read that some finch nests have mites that are especially dangerous to developing males, so mothers will sometimes lay eggs containing females first, to decrease males’ exposure to mites… HOW. IS. THIS. POSSIBLE? It’s all miraculous to me. Yet to the birds, it’s just life. Instinct – instilled, prewritten code – is magical. I’m completely awed by the winged, musical life on my door. And thank you for your gorgeous words ❤
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How glad I am to see this new chapter for the little blue egg. I followed the story in March. (I also blog at newtreemom… I started this new blog in anticipation of a new chapter when I retire at the end of May). I love the new word “eggsultation” and how it was inspired from O Come All Ye Faithful. You are a faithful Finch Franna!
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Thank you, Diane – I love being a finch Franna. I’ve been staying away from the front of the house because the mother seems a little more skittish, perhaps, than her predecessors. I checked this afternoon, though, and we still have four beautiful blue eggs. I expect “my” hatchlings right at Easter. The finches sound so happy – exultation is the exact right word and I had such fun with the wordplay. Thank you for YOUR words here and how exciting about your blog! I will check it out!
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