Josie L James

Sep 16, 20223 min

Song Birds

This morning I took my daily writing class from the amazing Ann Randolph. This picture (at the bottom) and quote below were given as a prompt (If you haven’t taken her online class, I strongly recommend if you have any interest in writing… It fills my soul) Some days the prompts cause memories to pop up, some days stories are created, some days facts are written, others fiction.
 

 
Today, I related.
 

The quote was… “Your head is a living forrest full of songbirds”…
 

 
Do you ever relate?
 

 
Cause mine is filled with them… from everything from the peaceful songbird to the goofy grunt of the flamingo, at rare times, the hoot of wise owl, most of the time it feels like the loon’s yodel…
 

 
Some songs, some noise, yet they all manage to exist together up there. Up in the 'ol hair nest.
 

 
What came out today was a poem… which felt appropriate with all I’m going through in this search, this loopy journey of finding my biological family.
 

 
I sent the ancestry kit in… I'm patiently awaiting the results. (Wink) I still haven’t heard back from Joel (pretty sure I scared him (Sad emoji))
 

 
So, yesterday, I reached out to 4 of the closest DNA matches under him on 23 and me. All either second cousins or once removed…
 

 
BUT… two of my second cousins, from the state my family is from, immediately got back to me with names of their grandparents and biological fathers that would be cousins to my parents.
 

 
Then, last night, one of my first cousins, once removed, sent a message that she is looking into the possible connections and will get back to me.
 

 
So… I’m on my way. SLOWLY. But, making progress. Like a detective, searching every lead.
 

 
Meanwhile, the birds sing. And I let them…
 

 
Here’s my poem if you’re interested…
 

 
We’ll see what happens next… and I promise to keep you posted. ;)
 

 

 
My head is a nest
 
Stuffed with different birds
 
Different species
 
Different voices
 
Different calls, songs and squawks
 

 
At times I try to ignore them
 
I turn the other cheek,
 
Pretend I don’t hear their screeching
 
Hoping no one else can notice my birds
 

 
Swirling, dancing in my head.
 
The birds that never sleep
 
That want to be heard
 
As they belt out from their hearts
 
Keeping themselves company
 
Celebrating their life
 
Bouncing form branch to branch,
 
Subject to subject
 

 
At times, I let them chirp and screech without notice
 
Other times they’re songs are all I hear
 
While other moments, I feel they are
 
Pulling me apart
 
Away from reality into their fantasy
 
Of flight and song
 
The multi colored feathers that softly vibrate against my ear,
 
The different sounds and personalities
 
Yet I let them carry on
 
I listen at times with fascination
 
Instead of fear
 
Am I insane, I wonder
 
Because I allow them to sing
 
I never stifle their voice
 

 
As they sing,
 
I hear the melody that forms.

Their voices becoming one
 
My name becomes their call
 
Their song and freedom their survival.
 
Their allowance is mine
 
They keep me going, these many birds
 
Of mine
 
Chirping in my hair nest
 
Settling in as their home
 
Dancing from limb to limb
 
Leaping from theme to theme
 

 
At times it gets noisy
 
But I am never alone
 
For these birds, their voices,
 
Are now a part of me,
 
Becoming me
 
United by song
 

 
Feeling myself growing wings
 
No longer tethered to the earth
 
As I hear them sing
 
I take flight with them,
 
I soar up in the clouds,
 
Over the ocean,
 
Into the sunset
 
The many voices, harmonizing
 
Molding into one.
 
Molding into mine.

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