I love to watch birds soaring and flying. The flocks that fly seemingly on cue from tree to tree, lifting off as one and looping together in choreographed turns and swirls make me laugh and smile. The grace of the egret as it unfurls its wings to take off is beautiful. Pelicans flapping in rhythm with their strong wings over the waves make me feel like I am surfing with them. 
Geese flying and calling, announce to all the turn of seasons. The majestic eagle and hawk as they soar – I feel the freedom and peace of their stillness as they ride the wind hardly moving their wings.
Can you picture them? Do you watch them?
This summer, I started this painting of three geese coming in for a landing. And, as I was sitting at home looking at it, I saw on the wall above it four other paintings of “flight.” My fascination with flight has stretched over many years.
In my youth I learned to play a song by John Denver that I still enjoy playing on the guitar. It captures the essence of the Eagle and the Hawk. It speaks of freedom of flight and dancing with the wind and being all that we can be. My heart wants to soar too. Add to that one of my favorite scripture passages: Isaiah 40:31. Do you know it?
but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength,
they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall run and not be weary,
they shall walk and not faint.
In John Denver’s song I heard God whispering to me of dancing on the wind like the birds, to be all that I can be as I wait on him and trust in his strength.
Since verse 31 in Isaiah begins with “but,” I looked at the verse in context to see what came before it:
Why do you say, O Jacob,
and speak, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the Lord,
and my right is disregarded by my God”?
28 Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the faint,
and strengthens the powerless.
30 Even youths will faint and be weary,
and the young will fall exhausted;
31 but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength,
they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall run and not be weary,
they shall walk and not faint. (Is 40:27-31)
God doesn’t grow faint and weary. People grow faint and weary - even youth, but if they hold on to God, wait for him, he will renew their strength and like an eagle they will fly again.
A few years ago, I wrote about this (read more) so I thought I would do a Cinquain or three in response today.
We did cinquains as a response exercise at the June, Art Vocabulary for the Soul retreat. It is a simple 5 line poem with a pattern. First line: 2 syllables, second line 4 syllables, third line 6 syllables, fourth line 8 syllables, 5th line 2 syllables.
OR 2 words, 4 words, 6 words, 8 words, 2 words. I did the syllable version.
Strong wings
riding airwaves
beautiful, majestic
lifting, soaring, turning, gliding
eagle
Flying
trusting in God
riding the air currents
soaring, lifting, gliding, landing
my flight
My flight
with wings like eagles
riding the air currents
trusting, believing, waiting, receiving
soaring
Write your own cinquain in response.
Next Art vocabulary for the Soul Retreat Nov 1-3 at Covenant Bay on Pigeon Lake.
