A Sensory Glimpse

/ moragnoffke 

The temperature is dropping to 0°C at night 
Lying in bed, trying to sleep 
I hear that stairs creek
As it shrinks and pulls tight 
For a moment I wonder 
If someone is creeping 
Up the stairs. 

In the early morning light 
I see a dusting of frost
Leaves looking sugar coated and crispy. 
Today is sunny, 
A perfect opportunity 
To work in the garden.

Donned with gardening gloves 
And scarf swaddling my neck
Tucked firmly into my work clothes 
I brave the cold
Marvel at the frost
And wonder how 
Little birds keep 
Their feet warm.

When I have finished 
Tackling the old, broken compost heap
Preparing for the new one
I see a little friend 
'Hello' I say
He doesn't like me 
Tweeting birdsong to him.
He prefers human language.

I become aware of the invisible space 
Where I share and connect with the bird.
I'm quiet, I stand still 
And watch.
I know why he has come.
I have disturbed the environment,
The insects are moving about.

I stand still 
And watch
And he swivels his head at me
He watches and waits
I stand still, just breathing 
Aware of my invisible 
Space inside me,
And the space between us.
We connect 
I say hello again 
He does not fly away.
He seems reassured 
And he flies down to gobble up
The insects.

He is the robin
Who visits my garden 
When I am raking, digging,
And disturbing the earth 

I sit under the canopy of trees
My private little forest 
Listening to the crow, the jackdaw,
The robin and more
It's like a surround sound 
Chorus of birds 
As I feel the dappled sun
On my body.

It's funny how we humans 
Want to record the moment 
In poetry, photos, or
pressing autumn leaves
Instead of just being 
With nature and oneself.


For me living in that invisible space 
On my own in the moment 
Is the most precious place to be
It feeds my soul 
I feel at one with the earth 
And it's creatures 
I have no need to speak to anyone ....

Yet here I am telling you.

A note from me: I love emulating bird calls and I have noticed many birds answer back when I do but the robin flies away when I try to make robin sounds but if I talk to the robin it stays.

I hope you are enjoying the changes of the season.

Take care.

~Morag Noffke ~

38 thoughts on “A Sensory Glimpse”

  3. A wonderful poem of just being. Yes, talking to the birds is something I do too, although I find whistling also works better. Robins are VERY territorial so maybe he thinks you are a competitor! 🤗🙏

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  4. Standing still beside the robin, just breathing in that invisible space between you, felt like a quiet prayer with the earth. I smiled at your closing line, how the soul longs for silence and yet still wants to share the moment with us. 🌹

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  5. Hi Morag, if you like to identify bird calls, there’s an app for your phone named “Birdnet.” You can identify the birds through the app. It records their call and identifies a segment of it and even provides a story about each bird. I bet you would live it if you have a cell phone or tablet.

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  7. A temperature of 0°C feels quite extreme to me! It means winter is in full swing there. Anyway, I loved the way you described the bird speaking. My mother used to talk to sparrows, calling them by names she had lovingly given them herself. Somehow, I have always been drawn to robins, both for their beautiful colours and their charming appearance.🙏💐💗

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    • Yes the temperature where we came from in South Africa was very mild, even 7 °C was really cold and when we went travelling into the Northern Cape in South Africa the temperature went down to 4°C and I thought it was outrageous but the first year we lived through a winter in Scotland it went down to -15°C😱🥶 . It’s like walking in a freezer when you go outside.
      I’m thrilled that you enjoyed the description of the bird talking and I liked how your mum talked with sparrows and named them. Robins do have a charming appearance and they seem so friendly or curiously brave the way they come right up to one. Thank you very much for your lovely comment 🌺🙏💟

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  8. Morag, this is beautiful. I especially loved the part about the invisible space between you and the robin — that quiet moment of just breathing and being noticed. Thank you for sharing such a peaceful piece of your garden with us.

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  9. A lovely poem, Morag. I do the same – stop weeding to pause and watch the birds, maybe try to whistle a little song to get their attention. I imagine I sound like a foreigner to them, butchering their native tongue with my bad translation. 🙂

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    • Thank you, social media has a lot to answer for …. we have a greater responsibility for our own actions…. Being clear about what we feel is the best thing to do… Like being with nature and oneself.
      Thank you for your comment.

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  12. Beautifully written, Morag. I also sometimes wonder how the birds’ little feet don’t freeze in the cold 😉. I’m so glad the days are getting warmer here in the Cape – I’m enjoying being in the garden a bit more now and my warm jacket is these days more on the chair than around my shoulders.

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    • Thank you, I am glad I am not the only one to wonder about birds feet feeling the cold. So nice to hear that the Weather is warming up in the Cape and that you are also enjoying being in the garden. May the weather treat you kindly.

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