May 20th

Crow seedlings scattered

black barbs resonate apart

sad cuts of midnight

I so wanted to see bluebells, but they’ve come and gone. May’s beautiful carpet had been rolled up. I’ll have to wait till next spring now. There were a few here and there, their hanging heads tired, but they were waning, dying. I didn’t realise but the UK has 75% of the worlds bluebell population. We’re privileged to have them. It’s a shame it rained so much earlier in the month, when they would have made the woodland floor blue.

I did see that the Hawthorn’s were blooming though. They cover the hillsides. The little stunted tough little trees, crouched tight to the ground, to stop them being swept off by raging winds.

Further on in the walk, we came to “our tree”. It’s a funny tree, so skinny, yet perched precariously right on the hill crest, where the winds would assault it from all sides. On my drives I often look for it in the distance and get a feeling of security and warmth when I catch it’s crooked thin shape in my sight. Today “our tree” had what appeared to be scratch / claw marks in its trunk. I got excited. An ABC? (Alien Big Cat)? Are these the claw marks of a large wild cat running free in the hills, fields and woods? I should have used my free hand to act as a scale, but the scratch marks were approximately 1.5 inches apart. Of course it must have a rational explanation, but it’s fun to imagine. I’m going back tomorrow night, so will try to remember a tape measure!

But today’s Haiku was about the three Crow feathers I found. They were perfect. So inky, with that metallic black glaze reflecting off them. I took them home. I like to look at them. I admire and envy crows.